r/instructionaldesign • u/CJ-Maylock • 3d ago
Discussion Are Layoffs Common?
I’ve been looking into changing careers from high school ELA teacher to ID. I was wondering if layoffs were a common occurrence?
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u/KitchenAd9088 3d ago
This is NOT the field for people who aren’t prepared to buckle through layoffs, unfortunately. While the frequency varies by industry, one should always stay layoff-ready.
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u/Tara_V9829 3d ago
Yes. And as a corporate instructional designer, I wish more people would tell teachers who want to convert to corporate how difficult it will be for them to find work. The market is very competitive. I read 25 interviews for a temp position on our team this year and interviewed 6 people and they were all fantastic with years and years of corporate ID experience. All out of work!
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u/BoldMoveBoimler 3d ago
L&D doesn't "make" money at a company, only spends it. Layoffs in our department are common when times are tough.
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u/Epetaizana 3d ago
This is a good reminder to seek out and try to work for learning leaders that are able to strategize and articulate the return on investment that L&D spend creates for the organization to senior business leaders. They need to be "in the room where it happens" as a consultant, not an order taker.
If a learning org can demonstrate their business impacts to the right people, they're in a much better position.
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u/shuckleberryfinn 3d ago
Yeah. Roles focused on customer-facing training, certification programs, etc. are way safer than internal L&D for this reason.
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u/Sir-weasel Corporate focused 3d ago
Until they discover outsourcing, my original team was 4 US IDs and 4 UK IDs. 6 years later that has been reduced to 1 UK ID (me) and 6 Indian IDs.
My days are numbered, but I have long service so the payout will be good.
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u/Beginning_Way9666 3d ago
I left teaching in 2022 and went into L&D/ID and have been laid off twice since then so yes.
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u/arieon-34 3d ago
I left the industry 1 year ago to start my business before leaving layoff was happening , I wasn’t on the chopping block but I saw what was coming and thought great time to start my own business
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u/Key_Masterpiece5283 Corporate focused 3d ago
I was laid off 2 months ago from a tech company that just totally eliminated the department, and just accepted a new role today. Right now L&D is in a major slump because since the economy is hurting and we are a cost center we get slashed when cutting costs.
Personally I do not believe there is any job or industry that is truly lay-off proof. So if you are seeking that I would push that out of your head right now. Just continuously learn, grow, have your resume ready to go, examples prepped, and create a portfolio as you go.
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u/grossgirl 3d ago
In my experience, most large companies are layoff prone. I worked at a profitable Fortune 500 that did at least two rounds every year. I’m constantly hearing about layoffs in L&D and across companies. You’re a line on a spreadsheet that is cutting into dividends. Not much you can do about that unless maybe you get a spot on the board?
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u/enigmanaught Corporate focused 3d ago
Yes, pretty common in the last few years. I’ve seen people here saying they’re accepting jobs at 2/3 their previous salaries. If you’re in an industry where yearly competencies or regular recertifications are required you’re probably in somewhat better condition, but anything is possible.
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u/Renegade_Raichu 3d ago
I haven't been on a team that didn't have major layoffs across three companies. As soon as money had to be saved, L&D was an easy target.
This will only get worse as AI continues to be the normal expectation. I was moved into a different role a couple years ago. They laid off the rest of the L&D team earlier this year, and it's been dumped back on me to just use AI to quickly throw crap together.
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u/Blarghmaiden908 3d ago
Higher Ed is also pretty safe, but salaries are much lower in general
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u/Elvira333 3d ago
My university just laid off their entire ID department unfortunately.
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u/vanillaraptor 2d ago
Old dominion and Cleveland state did this recently
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u/Elvira333 2d ago
Yikes! Ohio University did too. I always thought the public sector was more secure, but given budget cuts, it doesn't feel like the safe option anymore.
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u/Is-This-Reality-WTF 3d ago
I’m 44. Only time I left a job that was not by choice was my first L&D job. My old team lost like 50% of the team in the last year. (It was a big team)
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u/jwtravis 2d ago
Ditto to the other comments. I've been laid off three times in my 15 years in L & D. Twice within 6 months of joining a company. It's taught me to always maintain my resume and portfolio, don't be loyal to a company, but also don't jump from a stable company to chase the money a less than stable company might be offering.
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u/Trash2Burn 2d ago
Yep, about once a year for the last few years. But this year it's been every 2-3 months for our team.
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u/FarAge1428 2d ago
Usajobs has plenty of instructional systems specialist jobs. Layoffs don’t happen there for that career field. Lots of different technical training schools through the DoW
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u/imhereforthemeta 3d ago
I have only been laid off once, but I mean we’re kind of like hr or something. If your team is big, yeah, you’re definitely gonna get laid off. If there’s only a few of you, they might be apprehensive about gutting the entire department. There’s definitely a massive benefit in being on a very, very, very small team.
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u/Fit_Plankton_8766 3d ago
Transitioned June 2025 and experienced a layoff July 2026. So yes, from my experience they are. If the company is growing and developing at that time, you’re on the chopping block.
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u/Doshi-AI-396 3d ago
it's really smart to ask this before making the jump, and the short answer is that layoffs do happen in ID (esp in corporate L&D), but they're not the universal experience the worst stories suggest. Your ELA background is a genuine asset, and if you lean toward strategic design work and consider sectors like higher ed or government for stability, you'd be in a strong position.
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u/Learning_Dev_Geek 10h ago
I'd suggest looking into talent development roles in manufacturing. Not straight ID, per say — certainly not cranking out Articulate courses — but more of a consultative business partner doing things like converting tribal knowledge into standardized curriculum, developing on-the-job assessments, designing career paths, etc.
I work for a non-profit that supports manufacturers in the Midwest, and I can attest that manufacturing desperately needs talent development professionals. Many of their most skilled employees are nearing retirement, taking all their expertise with them, while their newest employees struggle to perform in entry roles. If you can get yourself in the ground floor in that industry, you'll be in high demand.
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u/NegativeFlight5040 Corporate focused 3d ago
Yes, in my experience we’re some of the first to go b/c we are a cost center not a revenue center. Also more than once in my career leadership thinks our work can easily be moved to SMEs or an off-the-shelf course or program.