'Not a priority anymore...': Post on mass layoffs exposes deepening US job outsourcing crisis, triggers debate

The American job market is undergoing a quiet but consequential transformation. As labour costs surge and regulations tighten, companies are increasingly sidelining domestic hiring in favour of cheaper, overseas alternatives. This shift, once limited to peripheral functions, is now cutting deeper into core operations, sparking anxiety among US workers. One Reddit user’s raw account of surviving layoffs at a major engineering firm has struck a nerve online, offering a sobering glimpse into what many fear is the future of white-collar work in America.

Highlighting the broader trend, the user wrote, “US market is no longer a priority for hiring unless it involves highly specialised roles.”

Recounting their own experience, they added, “I recently survived layoffs at a large engineering firm. In the latest round, the majority of layoffs targeted employees in the US and Western Europe, while teams in Eastern Europe and India were largely unaffected. The workload I now face is overwhelming, and even management admits it’s excessive. Their proposed solution? Outsourcing tasks to cheaper labour markets abroad.”

According to the user, the company’s strategy is crystal clear: prioritise cost-cutting over domestic employment. *“Most new talent will be recruited overseas due to cost advantages. This shift is deeply discouraging. It feels like these firms are becoming hollowed-out versions of US companies, with management staying local while offshoring most operational roles.”

Frustrated and uncertain, they questioned what might come next: “What’s next? Training my replacement abroad and be let go in the next round because I make too much? Is this reminiscent of what happened to the IT industry in the 1990s?”

The post resonated widely, drawing responses from others facing similar circumstances. One user shared, “The last company I worked for (large Fortune 200 financial services company) did this. They literally outsourced like 80-90% of IT, app support, and development to India… within three years we had to start bringing jobs back it was so bad.”

They also highlighted the hidden costs of outsourcing: “You don’t save money when your apps are down/broken, when projects end up taking twice as long with cost overruns. Many of these Indian companies also switch out people on you constantly… causing constant issues and delays.”

Another commenter blamed the lack of regulation in the US. “Other countries have legal percentages of workforce that has to be in the country. Not the case for the US. Companies will use any excuse to layoff… reality is that profits will keep rising and employees will eat shit,” the user said.

Some compared the current wave to the outsourcing boom of the 1990s, noting key differences. “AI makes everyone better… base talent is higher around the world… outsourcing is not as cheap as it used to be. But leaders keep relearning the same mistakes just to appease Wall Street.”

Others expressed concern about the scale and speed of the offshoring trend: “I am seeing so much more and more of this across the board in all industries. Companies just outsourcing to India and Philippines and hiring 3-4 employees at the cost of 1 American employee.”

One particularly stark comment underscored the resentment building among workers. “The USC is now openly told by its Indian managers that all hiring will be moved to India. America has lost its war for Independence and now is officially India's colony,” read the post.