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The job market outlook for 2025 appears “bleak” with the rise of silent firing, according to Prospero.Ai.
It comes amid widespread layoffs and hiring freezes, along with employees facing heightened job uncertainty.
Prospero.Ai, which offers a platform to retail investors with hedge fund-level intelligence to support their investment decisions, has highlighted a more subtle and troubling trend of silent firing.
It is a tactic where employers indirectly force employees out without officially dismissing them.
According to the company, last year, silent firing was on the rise, with companies reducing benefits, sidelining employees from important projects, and subtly indicating their diminished value.
By 2025, the practice has become even more prevalent, potentially contributing to the current sluggish job market, it added.
Prospero.ai CEO George Kailas said: “Quiet Quitting gained momentum during the pandemic. People would do the bare minimum or below in an effort to collect an easy paycheck and be fired with severance. But the inverse might be gaining momentum soon. Silent Firing. Companies are making jobs more difficult in the hopes that employees quit so their jobs can be automated.”
The absence of job mobility is compounding the issue.
Employees forced out through silent firing face difficulties securing new roles in an already challenging job market, the fintech startup explained.
This allows companies to gain the upper hand, suppressing wages and limiting workers’ ability to negotiate better opportunities.
Silent firing enables companies to reduce their workforce without the fallout of mass layoffs or negative publicity.
As a result, fewer official job openings emerge, leaving skilled professionals sidelined while many workers remain stuck in stagnant, low-paying roles with limited career prospects.
“So, is silent firing making the job market worse in 2025? The signs point to yes. By avoiding direct layoffs, companies are quietly eroding career stability, making it harder for workers to move up—or even move on. The question is, how long can this unsustainable cycle continue before it breaks?” Kailas added.