Employee Anxiety Remains High During Mergers and Layoffs

Employee anxiety during mergers, acquisitions, and organizational changes continues to be a recurring issue, with recent surveys indicating widespread concern about job security and workplace trust.

Workforce transitions such as mergers and acquisitions frequently lead to uncertainty among employees, who often worry about their positions, changes in management, and shifts in workplace culture. Those who remain after layoffs may experience increased workloads and a diminished sense of belonging, sometimes described as “survivor’s guilt.”.

Recent survey data from Perceptyx in 2025 showed that concerns about layoffs have grown among U.S. workers, with 35% reporting at least moderate worry about being laid off in March, up from 30% in February. The same survey found that 21% of respondents had experienced layoffs in their department and 24% in their organization over the previous three months.

Middle managers reported the highest levels of anxiety, with 45% expressing moderate concerns about layoffs compared to 32% of managers and 26% of individual contributors. Additionally, 72% of middle managers indicated they were seeking new employment, a higher proportion than other groups surveyed.

What the numbers show

• 21% of U.S. workers experienced departmental layoffs in three months
• 53% of global employees feared being laid off within a year
• 71% of employees would look for a new job after layoffs

Open communication from organizations about layoffs appears limited, with only 54% of employees stating their employer communicated openly on the topic. Furthermore, 53% said they did not understand the reasons behind the layoffs, and those who did receive open communication were three times more likely to report high engagement.

Global survey results from INTOO and Workplace Intelligence in 2025 indicated that 53% of employees worldwide feared losing their jobs within a year, and 91% felt unprepared to search for new employment. More than half reported they could only support themselves for three months if affected by layoffs.

Trust in management and leadership was also low, with 60% of employees perceiving leaders as lacking empathy during layoffs and 54% expressing distrust in management’s ability to handle layoffs ethically. After layoffs, 62% reported a loss of trust in their employer.

The phenomenon known as “quiet cracking,” where employees remain in their roles but feel emotionally disconnected, has been associated with job insecurity and restructuring. According to available data, 20% of U.S. workers experienced this frequently, while 34% reported occasional occurrences.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.