As mass layoffs continue to shake the global tech industry, questions are surfacing about whether companies — especially LinkedIn — are pausing their hiring. Microsoft recently laid off nearly 3% of its workforce, its largest cut in over two years. The situation is not isolated to the U.S. — in Canada, the labour market also took a hit, with a net loss of 32,600 jobs in March, marking the country’s first employment decline in over three years. This came after stagnant growth in February and a strong hiring spree from November through January. Canada’s unemployment rate ticked up to 6.7% in March from 6.6% the previous month.
In light of these developments, speculation is growing online about whether LinkedIn is following suit with a hiring freeze. One user on a professional forum shared, “LinkedIn folks — are you officially on a hiring freeze after yesterday’s layoffs? I’m at the Review Council stage with ‘strong’ interview feedback. What should I expect? Trying to decide whether to move forward with other opportunities or wait it out. Appreciate any insights.”
Responses to this post reveal a mixed picture. One user replied bluntly, ” You don’t get it, dude. They’re still hiring. They’re laying off Alice, who earns $10, to hire Bob, who’s thrilled to make $7.” Another added a more nuanced take, “They are hiring — but only in specific roles and levels.” A third shared a more optimistic view, ” My team (Nimbus org) is getting three more headcount. Plenty of teams are aggressively hiring at LinkedIn. So yeah, hiring is still strong — at least for teams with high-priority mandates.” Others corroborated the ongoing hiring activity, “I recently got an offer from LinkedIn, noted one user. They downleveled me from staff to senior, and I ended up rejecting it.”
What Is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform designed for career and business development, rather than personal socializing. Unlike platforms like Facebook or Instagram, LinkedIn is geared toward helping users build professional connections, showcase skills and experience, and explore job opportunities. The platform was co-founded by Reid Hoffman, Eric Ly, Konstantin Guericke, Allen Blue, and Jean-Luc Vaillant.