Research report
What does it take to rehire laid-off employees?
Our survey of 1,000 US workers explores whether laid-off employees would return to their former employer, what they would need, and how their layoff experience shapes that decision.
US employers recorded 21.2 million layoffs and discharges in 2025, a 1.2 million increase on the year before. In 2026, 1.6 million layoffs are conducted each month. However, our research found that companies hire back the people they lay off within a matter of months.
Our earlier AI-led layoffs report found that one in three companies that made AI-led layoffs (32.7%) have already rehired 25-50% of the roles they cut, and more than one in three (35.6%) have rehired over half. For almost a third of companies (30.9%), rehiring cost more than the cuts saved.
The result is a surge of HR teams doing the legwork of winning back previously departed employees. But would those employees come back, and on what terms?
What we did
We surveyed 1,000 US workers who had been laid off or had their position eliminated in the last 24 months. We asked whether they’d return to the company that laid them off, what it would take to bring them back, and how the way they were laid off shaped that decision.
Almost half of laid-off employees would return to their former employer
Almost half (44.1%) of laid-off employees say they would definitely or probably take a job with the company that laid them off if it was offered today. More than one in three (37.8%) have already been contacted about coming back.
- 15.2% were offered a job by their former employer
- 22.6% were asked if they’d be interested in returning
- 8.6% actually returned to their former place of work
- More than a third (35.9%) probably or definitely wouldn’t go back, including 9.6% who said they’d never return under any circumstances
Laid-off employees who felt they’d been treated somewhat or very poorly during their layoff (34.5%) were more than twice as likely to say they’d never go back (15% compared with 6.7%). In fact, the effect reaches beyond rehiring as our layoff communications study found that employees who felt their layoff was communicated fairly tended to land their next role faster.
What would it take for laid-off employees to return to their former employer?
Almost all laid-off employees (95.2%) stated they would want something before going back to their former employer, be it a raise or at least one must-have condition. Fewer than one in seven (13.2%) would return to their old role for the same pay, and more than half (55.5%) would need a written guarantee of job security for at least 12 months.
| Condition | Must have | Nice to have | Not needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old tenure, benefits and vacation restored | 61.3% | 31% | 7.7% |
| Written guarantee of job security for at least 12 months | 55.5% | 36.7% | 7.8% |
| Proof that leaders who made layoff decisions have changed | 44.6% | 38.8% | 16.5% |
| A sign-on bonus | 39.5% | 49.4% | 11% |
| An apology | 36.5% | 40% | 23.5% |
| A promotion or more senior title | 29.9% | 50.9% | 19.3% |
Nearly two in three laid-off employees want a raise of more than 10% to return
Nearly two in three laid-off employees (64.1%) would want a raise of more than 10% to take their old role back. The typical laid-off employee wants a raise of 11-20%.
- Only 13.2% of laid-off employees would return for the same pay.
- 16.9% would accept a raise of 1-10%.
- One in seven (14.6%) would want a raise of more than 30%.
- 5.8% say no amount of money would bring them back.
Many laid-off employees moved on to higher-paid work when they departed, raising the bar for any offer to return. Of those in work, 44.8% now earn more than they did before their layoff, and 18% earn less.
Interestingly, one in seven laid-off employees were told AI or automation was a reason for their layoff. Three in four of them (75.9%) would want a raise of more than 10% to return, compared with 61.7% of other laid-off employees.
Six in ten laid-off employees want their old tenure and benefits restored to return
Six in ten laid-off employees (61.3%) say having their old tenure, benefits, and vacation restored would be a must-have before they’d go back.
- 44.6% want proof that the leaders who made the decision to lay off employees have changed.
- 39.5% would need a sign-on bonus to return.
- Three in ten (29.9%) would need a promotion or a more senior title.
The demand for conditions such as these shows that laid-off employees are prioritizing job security rather than seniority. Their top conditions protect them from losing what they built at the company a second time.
More than one in three laid-off employees want an apology before they return
More than a third of laid-off employees (36.5%) say an apology for how their layoff was handled would be a must-have before they go back. Fewer than one in five (17.7%) received one.
- Employees who received an apology were 1.4 times more likely to consider returning (57.1% compared with 41.3%).
- Almost half (47.7%) of employees who rated their layoff as handled poorly say an apology is a must-have, compared with 30.6% of those treated respectfully.
Unlike a raise or a sign-on bonus, an apology doesn’t add to the cost of a rehire. Most laid-off employees never received one, even though it matters most to those who felt their layoff was handled poorly.
Employees rating their layoff positively are more likely to return to former employers
Laid-off employees who felt they were treated very or somewhat fairly in the layoff process were 1.7 times more likely to consider returning than those who didn’t (51.1% compared with 30.9%).
- One in three (34.5%) rated their layoff as very or somewhat poorly handled.
- One in four (25.9%) of those who rated their layoff very poorly would never go back, compared with 7.4% of everyone else.
- Employees told about their layoff in person were more likely to consider returning (48.7%) than those told any other way (39%).
Employees who receive outplacement support are more likely to return
Laid-off employees who received career transition or outplacement support are more likely to consider returning.
- More than half (51.7%) of employees who received outplacement support would consider returning, compared with 42.4% of those who didn’t receive support.
- They were also more likely (82.1%) to rate their layoff positively, compared with 61.8% of those who didn’t receive support.
The findings show the importance of treating departing employees with empathy and offering support where possible. How someone is treated on the way out stays with them, and it shapes how they feel about their former employer after their last day.
Nearly three in four laid-off employees would have taken an internal role instead
Nearly three in four laid-off employees (73.7%) say they would definitely or would maybe have taken a different internal role, with training, instead of being laid off. However, only 13.3% were offered one.
In fact, in our AI-led layoffs research, we found that over half (55.1%) of companies making layoffs said reskilling and redeployment were never formally discussed or considered.
Redeploying an employee keeps their skills and institutional knowledge in the business, avoiding both the cost of the layoff and the cost of a rehire.
Methodology
Careerminds surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults through Pollfish in October 2026. To qualify, respondents had to have been laid off or had their position eliminated since October 2024.
Questions about returning were asked of the 1,000 respondents who had not already gone back to their former employer. Respondents could choose more than one answer when asked about the reasons and support they were given.