Layoffs are feeling awfully tempting for a lot of companies right now

A general view of empty desks in an office in central London

Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images via Getty Images

• January corporate job cuts were the biggest for the start of any year since 2009.
• Wall Street often rewards companies that trim staff — and cut costs.
• Some leaders see layoffs as a way to be perceived as hyper-efficient and AI-savvy.

When the economy is uncertain, CEOs often reach for a familiar lever: job cuts.

And things are feeling far from certain these days.