The scariest word this year for workers from DC to Silicon Valley

Tech leaders like Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk led a workforce efficiency crusade in 2025.

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images;  Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

• The "efficiency" motto has driven layoffs and hiring freezes in the 2025 job market.
• Companies hope the cuts will save them money, but workers worry about their livelihoods.
• From Big Tech to the federal workforce, bureaucracy has fallen out of fashion.

It's CEOs' favorite buzzword and white-collar workers' nightmare fuel.