We experienced a tremendous amount of economic turbulence in 2023, but at least the employment market was relatively stable.
Unfortunately, that period of relative stability appears to be ending.
The pace of layoffs really seemed to pick up steam at the end of 2023, and the outlook for the coming year is not promising at all. In fact, a survey that was just conducted by Resume Builder discovered that a whopping 38 percent of U.S. companies anticipate that they will conduct layoffs in 2024…
38% of companies say they are likely to have layoffs in 2024
52% are likely to implement a hiring freeze in 2024
Half say anticipation of a recession is a reason for potential layoffs
4 in 10 say layoffs are due to replacing workers with artificial intelligence (AI)
3 in 10 companies reducing or eliminating holiday bonuses this year
If you currently have a job that you highly value, try to hold on to it as tightly as you can.
Because the employment market is starting to shift in a major way.
In recent weeks, so many large U.S. companies have been announcing layoffs…
Nike has announced a $2 billion cutback over the next three years, with an uncertain number of job cuts included. Toy giant Hasbro will cut nearly 20% of its workforce in 2024, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. Music service Spotify announced a third round of layoffs. A recent email from CEO Daniel Ek says the company plans to cut its workforce by nearly 20%. Roku is going to be limiting new hires, and laying off about 10% of its workforce, while Amazon layoffs are effecting its new gaming division (all 180 jobs there are being eliminated). Citi CEO Jane Fraser announced layoffs in September, and sources have told CNBC that the bank could let go of at least 10% of its workforce, across several business lines. Flexport Logistics plans to cut up to 30% of its employees, and financial services company Charles Schwab is cutting back by 5-6% of its workforce, according to reports from Business Insider.
Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Many more layoffs are on the way.
Meanwhile, retailers continue to close stores at an astounding pace…
With the continued rise of online shopping, along with record inflation, it’s no wonder that retailers are suffering steep financial losses. Unfortunately, this means that companies all across the U.S. are downsizing brick-and-mortar storefronts to make ends meet. In 2023, we’ve seen closures from big-name retailers and local shops alike—and the shutdowns don’t appear to be easing up anytime soon.
More than 3,000 retail locations were shut down in 2023, but that is nothing compared to what is coming…
According to UBS equity analyst Michael Lasser, the U.S. remains over-retailed. Lasser estimated that the U.S. will shed almost 50,000 retail stores by 2028. He cites rising operating costs and a higher proportion of e-commerce sales, causing retailers to look closely at store locations and performance.
Can you imagine what our communities will look like if that projection is even close to accurate?
As economic conditions deteriorate, people are going to get more desperate and the conditions in our streets will become even more chaotic.
You may not have heard about this yet, but earlier this week a giant mob of more than 100 young people savagely looted a bakery in Compton, California…
A mob of over 100 looters purposefully crashed a Kia into a small bakery in Compton, Calif., before they flooded in and ransacked the store during a night of rampage on the streets earlier this week.
The thieves had gathered in the area for an illegal street takeover around 3 a.m. Tuesday before making the mile-long trek to Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food.
When they got to the locked store, a white Kia backed into the front doors, clearing an entryway for the crowd of pillagers to get to their loot.
We aren’t talking about a handful of lawless individuals.
Literally dozens and dozens of lawless young people looted this small store, and they did not hesitate to take whatever they wanted.
Most of you are probably not even aware that this happened, and that is because this story barely made a blip in the news cycle.
And the reason why it barely made a blip in the news cycle is because this sort of thing has become quite common in our country.
The thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted on a daily basis is rapidly disappearing.
Let me give you another example.
One couple in California that thought it would be a good idea to use an online marketplace to sell an iPad ended up deeply regretting that decision…
This is the moment a California couple was robbed of their iPad at gunpoint in broad daylight by two teenagers.
Eduardo Reyes and his wife had listed the device on OfferUp on December 23.
The teens contacted them and asked to meet in a residential neighborhood in Pomona.
‘They wanted to meet in a public street which I usually don’t do, but he sounded like he was a kid and he’s like, “Oh, I’m going to have my mom come out with me”,’ Reyes told KTLA.
These days it is so hard to know who you can trust, and that is because a very large portion of the population is no longer trustworthy.
If things are this bad now, what do you think is going to happen once economic conditions become extremely harsh in the United States?
The chaos that we are currently seeing in the streets is nothing compared to the chaos that is coming.
Our society really is coming apart at the seams right in front of our eyes.
And now we are headed toward the most hotly contested presidential election in our history, and that will bring societal tensions to a boiling point.
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Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.
