Tech’s mass layoffs are hiding a much scarier problem, and AI is uncovering it

When we talk about mass layoffs, especially in tech, we tend to focus on the wrong numbers. I’ll give you an example. From this CNBC article that appeared over the weekend, about a Durham, North Carolina (close to home, Go Bulls!), technical program/project manager now six months unemployed: Starting around December 2025, when he was laid off from his previous role, [Dan] Coda says he spent more than 300 hours job hunting, submitting dozens of applications, hearing back about 15 potential roles and going through multiple rounds of interviews to no avail. Those are some depressing numbers. So Coda gave up. In fact, the article is titled “Why People Are Dropping Out of the Workforce and Not Looking for New Jobs: ‘The Market Wore Me Down.’” Yeah, it’s been doing that. But that’s only a part of a larger problem. The numbers tell a scary story Now, I absolutely empathize with Mr. Coda. But in my now-years-long deep dive into the problems in the tech industry, its labor market, and its hiring practices, I can tell you some stories. Three hundred hours job hunting? I’ve heard “thousands” of hours, from hundreds of laid-off folks. Dozens of applications? I’ve seen the file dumps of hundre…