There are much broader effects from headlines like these, though. It's easy to dismiss the numbers on a percentage basis from the sidelines, but the real impact will be a domino effect across communities. Mid-tier companies and SMBs copy what the large enterprises do, even if they don't really have to.

Also, as a side thought, if these large enterprises in the headlines are still making tens of billion in profit, then why layoff in the first place -- especially considering the narrative about a supposed labor shortage and skills gap? No one should wonder why people don't have loyalty anymore.

Of course layoffs naturally include low performers, but they also include employees across the board. The highest weighted metric is usually compensation relative to what's perceived as the "market" rate, which is also a sliding scale and open to interpretation.

This idea that these types of layoffs are simply "trimming the fat" just doesn't jibe with my first-hand experience, nor the second-hand experience learned through other employees. I've seen some of the best performers get axed while the sycophants and low performers get to stick around.

If anyone believes layoffs necessarily target "low performers," I have a bridge to sell.