Job anxiety has workers misreading everyday signals

Business Insider

6 days ago

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Good morning. It's the last day of Amazon's Prime Day sale, so time is running out to snag some of the best deals of the summer. The Reviews team at BI has gathered the best discounts for your home, kitchen, closet, and more — and they've tested all the items, too.
In today's big story, welcome to the age of office paranoia, where layoffs, AI, and job insecurity are terrorizing workers.
What's on deck:
Markets: JPMorgan says retail investors will lead a stock-buying spree in the second half of 2025.
But first, we need to talk.
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The big story
Office paranoia
Getty Images; Ava Horton/BI
They think they're next. The company snacks are worse. The office air conditioning goes out. An unexpected meeting appeared on your calendar. The signs all point toward one thing: looming layoffs.
Or not. Sometimes, things are just as mundane as they appear. It's what experts call " paranoid attribution," when employees read negative meaning into regular workplace occurrences.
It's occurring in workforces across America. It's not hard to understand why: AI is threatening to take jobs, strict RTO orders are becoming more common, and the Great Flattening is coming for middle management.
"Workers are feeling disempowered," said Michele Williams, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa. "They're looking for these social cues and overinterpreting social cues because of that insecurity."
Meanwhile, the reality is that layoff rates are still low — relative to historic levels — and remain concentrated in white-collar sectors, especially at big-name companies that dominate headlines. In other words, things may not be as bad as they seem.
But the paranoia is still reshaping the workplace.
The fear isn't good for anyone, BI's Juliana Kaplan writes. When employees are anxious about their career security, they probably aren't doing their best work.
One worker that BI spoke with has completely changed her perspective on her career after getting laid off twice in two years. The first time was the day that she had arranged a return-to-office party for the workers reporting to her.
"It's really hard to go to work every day and to know that you may not have a future here no matter how hard you work," she said.
On the other hand, fear can be terribly efficient. When companies shift toward a more " hardcore" management style, they are generally banking on employees clinging to well-worn adages about becoming indispensable at work.
Employees were supposed to become hyper-focused, not hyper-concerned. Now, staffers are looking at the corporate world a little differently — and some are turning their back on it altogether.
3 things in markets
The hottest job in private equity: fundraising. Due to slumping returns in the sector, demand is high for professionals who can woo investors and keep them happy. BI spoke to four recruiters who shared the top jobs, skills, and experiences PE firms are looking for.
Retail investors to the rescue. JPMorgan strategists say investors are poised to inject $500 billion into stocks for the rest of 2025, which will mostly come from retail. The bank estimates retail investors have purchased a net $270 billion worth of stocks so far this year.
Another record under bitcoin's belt. The digital currency hit a fresh all-time high above $113,000 on Thursday, its second milestone in 24 hours. Analysts believe it has even higher to climb.
3 things in tech
Amazon's got big ambitions for Starfish. An internal planning document from late 2024 obtained by BI details the e-commerce giant's multi-year Starfish project, which uses AI to enhance and increase product listings on Amazon's Marketplace. The document added that its eventual goal is to make Amazon the best source of " all product information worldwide."
Tesla drivers might be getting a controversial backseat driver. Elon Musk announced that Grok, the chatbot built by xAI, would be available on Tesla's EVs by "next week at the latest." The launch comes after Grok posted a series of inflammatory posts on X, some of which were later deleted.
The Big Apple takes on The Bay. New York City tech leaders are challenging San Francisco's dominance as the seat of the tech industry. More startup funding still flows to California, but fresh talent and government funding are heading to New York.
3 things in business
Starbucks is making baristas write messages on cups. The coffee chain is trying to add more human connection to its storefront workflow — but is having a cute little message on your cup really worth it if the barista is forced to do it? BI's Katie Notopoulos doesn't think so.
Amazon Prime Day: deeper discounts, fewer products. It looks like Prime Day actually has better sales this year, but it might be harder to find them since they're spread among fewer things. Shoppers are stocking up on household items.
Sometimes billionaires are bad for business. That's what Jacob Frehling has found in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he runs a coffee shop. Frehling told BI his sales dip each year when the billionaires are in town, and he's never met a local who's excited about the conference.
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What's happening today
Last chance of the year to observe "Manhattanhenge," when the sun sets in perfect alignment with the Manhattan street grid.
Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Akin Oyedele, deputy editor, in New York. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York (on parental leave). Kiera Fields, editor, in London.