From:
Columbia Business School’s Professor Daniel Keum spoke with CNBC reporters Gabrielle Fonrouge, Annie Palmer, and Frank Holland about the surge in white-collar layoffs as companies confront rising operating costs and economic uncertainty. Keum explained that many firms are turning to layoffs as a blunt but familiar tool to manage expenses—particularly amid new tariff pressures and rapid adoption of AI technologies that promise long-term efficiency gains. He noted that while executives often view headcount reductions as an immediate solution, the broader economic environment and organizational impacts make these decisions far more complex.
