Australian employees feel 'significant level' of redundancy fears

"It's clear that there is a significant level of apprehension among workers about potential redundancies in the coming year," said Andrew Brushfield, director at Robert Half, in a statement. 

"That job security surpasses pay in worker priorities signals a climate of market uncertainty and a shift towards valuing stability and long-term career prospects." 

Redundancy concerns 

By industry, tech workers are most concerned about their jobs, with 78% of them worried about redundancies occurring at their companies this year. 

More than half of employees in finance and accounting (69%), as well as administration and customer service (56%), also expressed concerns about redundancies in 2025. 

By location, employees in New South Wales are the most worried about redundancies in Australia (75%). Other regions also recorded the following: 

• Western Australia (71%)   
• Victoria (66%)   
• Queensland (61%) 

2025 layoffs across Australia 

The findings come in the wake of major firms across the world laying off employees, including in Australia. Among the firms announcing job cuts this year are: 

• Commonwealth Bank – It is cutting 164 jobs from its technology division, including 150 roles in Sydney, with the rest in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, and Tweed Heads in New South Wales, according to the Finance Sector Union. 
• Southern Cross Austereo – The media company said it is laying off around 140 employees, including those in marketing, an internal media unit, Triple M's Night Shift, and some regional breakfast shows, B&T reported. 
• Mosaic Brands – Brands under the clothing retailer recently announced closures, impacting approximately 2,800 employees. 

Meanwhile, organisations including EY Australia and Nine Entertainment Company have also been reported to lay off employees this year, according to various reports. 

Addressing redundancy fears 

These reports of layoffs across Australian organisations validate employees' fears of redundanciesv potentially happening in their workplace. 

To address these fears, Robert Half's report found that nearly half of workers (49%) are pursuing training or certifications to improve their marketability. Another 45% said they are passively looking for a new job. 

"Workers are on the front foot, preparing for employment changes by taking ownership of their career development and seeking to future-proof their skills, before their role may be impacted by restructures within their company," Brushfield said. 

"This is part of a shift we're seeing towards proactive career management. Workers are upskilling, networking and exploring side hustles, not just to enhance their pay package but to strengthen their long-term career prospects." 

What can employers do? 

Justworks, a technology company, advised leaders to be proactive to ease layoff anxiety in workplaces. 

In a blog post, it underscored that layoff anxiety can stress employees out, reduce their productivity, and lower their morale. To address these fears, it recommended the following strategies: 

• Conduct open and transparent communication to create a sense of trust in the workplace 
• Provide reassurance to employees by setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and rewarding employees for their hard work 
• Offer support and resources such as access to counselling services and flexible work arrangements to help employees cope 
• Encourage employee development by providing training and career advancement opportunities as workers who feel valued are less likely to experience layoff fears 
• Foster a positive work environment to develop a sense of community and belonging among employees