Majority of Laid-Off Workers Pivot to New Roles

LHH, the global outplacement leader and a business unit of the Adecco Group, has released new data on the career trajectories of 418,000 laid-off workers, revealing that a majority of them are pivoting to entirely new roles or careers. According to the analysis, 58% of these individuals moved into entirely new job functions, a trend that has remained consistent since 2022.

This data underscores the dynamic nature of the modern labor market, where career transitions are becoming more frequent and less of an anomaly. The findings highlight that when roles are displaced, they often transform rather than disappear, and workers are increasingly moving into adjacent commercial, operational, and project-based roles that leverage their existing skills.

Among the roles experiencing the highest displacement are customer operations, with 90% of people leaving for different work. Logistics coordinators (87%) and office assistants (86%) follow closely. However, software developers show a different pattern, with 65% remaining in the profession and 35% pivoting to adjacent functions. This suggests that while some roles are being reshaped, others are evolving within the same field.

Pivot rates vary by market. In the first half of 2025, Germany saw the highest pivot rate at 71%, followed by Spain at 68%, and the global average at 58%. The United States and India lagged slightly, with 57% and 54% respectively. These figures indicate that restructuring and skill mismatches are more active in markets with higher pivot rates.

The data also reveals that mobility is not uniform across all roles. Customer operations, logistics coordination, office and project support, food service, and manufacturing process improvement roles are all seeing significant displacement. These roles typically combine routine tasks such as scheduling and documentation with work that requires human judgment, escalation, and relationship management. As routine tasks are absorbed by technology, these roles are being reconfigured rather than eliminated.

For employers, this data provides a roadmap for redeploying talent. LHH suggests that workforce strategy should account for how people move across roles, organizations, and industries over time. The company recommends integrating career transition support into broader workforce planning, alongside hiring, internal mobility, and reskilling. This approach can help organizations retain and attract top talent by making transition easy and reducing the need for costly rehiring.

However, the data also points to a gap in the tools and support available to workers. According to LHH, 53% of workers would like to change roles but do not know how, and 56% worry their skills are not current for future opportunities. This highlights the need for more comprehensive career development and upskilling programs to help workers navigate these transitions.

In conclusion, the data from LHH underscores the importance of adaptability in the modern workforce. As more workers transition into entirely new roles, organizations must be prepared to support and guide their employees through these changes. By leveraging the insights provided by LHH, companies can better plan for the future and ensure they have the talent they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving market.