More Than Half of Laid-Off Workers Have Considered Accepting Lower Pay to Get Back to Work

HR Dive · United States · Jul 23, 2026

A new Glassdoor poll finds 57% of U.S. workers who experienced a layoff felt pressured to accept a lower salary upon re-entry, with women reporting higher pressure (63%) than men (52%). Nearly 40% of laid-off workers say they still haven't fully recovered financially, signaling softening wage expectations among displaced workers. For staffing firms, this data suggests a growing candidate pool willing to accept below-market rates — a dynamic that could affect placement margins and exacerbate existing gender pay disparities. Glassdoor also found company reputation takes nearly three years to recover following a layoff.