For an early indicator of the emerging mood and mindset of the American workforce, follow the business buzzwords.
Within the tech sector, as it undergoes massive headcount reductions, there are whispers of "backdoor layoffs” and "quiet layoffs” — shorthand for a company’s attempts to cut its employee base by making conditions so unpleasant or untenable that workers quit on their own accord. The long-dominant pandemic phenomenon of "quiet quitting” is taking a backseat to "career cushioning,” or making a backup plan for your current job when you’re freaked out about getting fired.
The latest developments in the language of business carry a clear message: There’s a lot less posturing on the part of workers and a lot more fear and angst as the pendulum of power swings away from employees and back toward their companies and bosses.