XLM Insight | Stellar Lumens News, Price Trends & Guides
XLM Insight | Stellar Lumens News, Price Trends & Guides
Alright, folks, buckle up. Another day, another corporate titan decides its bottom line is more important than, you know, actual human beings. Verizon, the wireless giant we all can't seem to live without (or at least, can't easily escape), just dropped the axe. Over 13,000 workers are out on the street, as Verizon Confirms Mass Layoffs, Will Eliminate 13,000+ Jobs. That's a whopping 13% of their entire workforce, gone. Poof. Just like that. And offcourse, they've got a whole song and dance ready for why this is actually, truly, for our benefit. Give me a break.
I'm Nate Ryder, and if you're here, you know I don't sugarcoat this corporate PR crap. This ain't just a bad look. No, it's a calculated, cold-hearted move dressed up in the latest buzzwords, and anyone with half a brain can see right through it. We're talking about real people, real families, whose lives are getting upended because some CEO decided "complexity and friction" were slowing down their "customer value proposition." What a crock.
Let's talk about Dan Schulman, the new sheriff in town. Former PayPal CEO, seven years on Verizon's board, and he's barely warmed his seat before he's swinging the biggest axe in company history. "Verizon is at a critical juncture," he declared. Translation: "We're not making enough money, so someone's gotta go." He talks about maximizing value propositions and reducing "cost to serve." You know what "cost to serve" means, right? It means you, the employee, are now an expense, not an asset.
In his memo, which they were kind enough to publish online (gotta control that narrative, right?), Schulman says, "Every part of the company will experience some level of change." Yeah, I bet the folks getting their pink slips today are really feeling that "change." He pins it on needing to "invest in its customer value proposition" because "complexity and friction" were slowing them down. Funny, I always thought losing 7,000 postpaid customers in a quarter while T-Mobile added a million and AT&T gained 405,000 might have something to do with actual service or pricing, not just some vague "complexity." But hey, what do I know? I'm just a guy who sees the same play run over and over again. It's like watching a magic trick where the magician tells you he's gonna make your job disappear, then blames the rabbit.
And let's not forget the sheer scale of this. We're talking about the largest job reduction in Verizon's history. This isn't just a little trim around the edges; it's a wholesale amputation. They're even franchising out 180-200 stores, which means more people will suddenly find themselves not on Verizon's payroll. It’s a classic move: shed the direct responsibility, keep the revenue stream. Does anyone really believe this will lead to a better experience for the customer, or just a fatter wallet for the shareholders? I mean, come on. Are we supposed to applaud this corporate sleight of hand?
Now, here's where it gets truly insulting, truly next-level cynical. Verizon, in its infinite corporate wisdom, has set up a $20 million fund. For what, you ask? "Skill development, digital training, and job placement" for the people they just laid off. Oh, and get this: they're "the first company to set up a fund to specifically focus on the opportunities and necessary skill sets as we enter the age of AI."
The age of AI? You're telling me you laid off 13,000 people today, and your big spin is that you're helping them pivot into an AI future? That's not a fund; that's a distraction. That's putting a tiny band-aid on a gaping wound and then trying to sell the band-aid as a medical breakthrough. It's like burning down someone's house and then offering them a free matchbook. I've seen some corporate spin in my day, but this "verizon new ceo layoffs" paired with the "age of AI" narrative? It's a masterpiece of gaslighting.
Imagine being one of those 13,000 people. You wake up, maybe you're grabbing your morning coffee, and an email drops. Suddenly, your whole world shifts. No more "verizon jobs" for you. No more regular paycheck. And then, the company that just ripped your livelihood away, offers you a few grand for "digital training" because, you know, AI. It's not just insensitive; it's practically a mockery. This isn't about AI; it's about cost-cutting, pure and simple. They saw Intel cut 15% and Amazon cut 14,000, and thought, "Hey, we can do that too!" It's a race to the bottom, and the workers always pay the price. Don't think this is the end, either. If history's any guide, we'll be talking about "verizon layoffs 2025" before you know it. The "the layoff verizon wireless" story is just getting started for many.
I gotta ask, are we really supposed to believe that Verizon, a company that just lost a boatload of customers, is suddenly a visionary leader in workforce development for the AI era? Or is it more likely they're just trying to soften the blow, hoping the headlines focus on their "generosity" rather than the thousands of lives they just upended? My money's on the latter. Every single time.
Let's be real. This isn't innovation; it's just plain old corporate greed and mismanagement repackaged with a shiny new AI bow. Verizon Wireless is playing the same old tune, just with a slightly different orchestra. For those 13,000 workers, it's not about "skill development" right now; it's about paying the rent. And that, my friends, is the cold, hard truth of it.