Middle Managers Are Getting Fired More Often

Middle managers—defined as non-executives who oversee employees—make up almost a third of terminations, up from 20% in 2018. In January, United Parcel Service said it would save more than $1 billion by slashing 12,000 manager jobs. Citigroup aims to eliminate 20,000 roles over the next several years, shrinking to eight management layers from 13. And more might be coming; mentions of “operational efficiency” in the US hit the highest on record this earnings season, according to an analysis by Morgan Stanley.

The allure of a “slimmer” organization has been around for decades: The ideal of the “lean and mean” company was popularized in the 1980s by General Electric’s Chief Executive Officer Jack Welch. The use of “efficiency” follows other corporate euphemisms for firing someone, like streamlining and downsizing. But of late, these HR-department key words appear increasingly directed at middle managers.