48% of laid-off women got no severance or support, vs 34% of men: survey
Representative image: Msaeedsalem / Pixabay
A Resume Genius survey reported on October 14, 2026, finds 48% of laid-off US women got no severance, benefits or job help, against 34% of men.
What Happened
Women who lose their jobs are much more likely than men to leave with nothing to cushion the fall, according to a 2026 layoff survey by the career site Resume Genius, published in mid-October 2026. The survey of 1,000 workers in the United States who had been laid off in the past two years, carried out in July 2026, found that 48 per cent of women received no severance pay, no extended benefits and no help finding a new job, compared with 34 per cent of men. Women were also more likely to be let go with no warning at all: 32 per cent of women said so, against 21 per cent of men. The findings were reported on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Across all respondents, 41 per cent received no severance or other support, a figure that rose to 62 per cent in retail, hospitality, food and consumer services.
Key Facts
- Resume Genius surveyed 1,000 laid-off workers in the US in July 2026; the findings were reported on October 14, 2026.
- 48 per cent of laid-off women got no severance, extended benefits or job placement help, versus 34 per cent of men.
- Women trailed men by 13 percentage points in receiving severance pay.
- 32 per cent of women had no warning before being laid off, compared with 21 per cent of men.
- 41 per cent of all respondents received no severance or other support.
- In retail, hospitality, food and consumer services, 62 per cent got no support.
- A separate survey by Zety, reported on October 1, found 39 per cent of laid-off women would work for a former employer again, against 53 per cent of men.
Why It Matters
A layoff is not only a loss of income. It can upset a family's budget, a person's sense of security and their mental health all at once. Severance pay, continued health cover and help with job hunting are what give people time to recover and plan. When women are more likely to leave with none of these, they face the same shock with fewer resources.
The gap also feeds other inequalities. A Glassdoor survey earlier this year found that 63 per cent of women felt pressure to accept a lower salary to get back into work after a layoff, compared with 52 per cent of men. A woman who leaves with no severance has less room to wait for the right offer, so she may accept a lower one, and that loss can follow her through the rest of her career.
The difference in warning matters too. Being told in advance gives people time to update a CV, line up savings and talk to family. The Resume Genius figures suggest that women are more often denied even that.
Support was thinnest in retail, hospitality, food and consumer services. For working women everywhere, including in India, the lesson is practical: know what your contract says about notice and severance before you need it, keep an emergency fund if you can, and keep your skills and network active so a job loss does not become a long career break.
| Survey finding | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| No severance, benefits or placement help | 48% | 34% |
| No warning before layoff | 32% | 21% |
| Willing to work for former employer again (Zety) | 39% | 53% |
| Felt pressure to accept lower pay after layoff (Glassdoor) | 63% | 52% |
Impact
Short-term: Women who have been laid off are more likely to face an immediate drop in income with no support, adding financial and emotional strain on them and their families.
Long-term: Repeated gaps in severance and warning can widen differences in pay and savings between women and men, and make women less willing to return to former employers.
Who is affected: Women in the workforce, especially in retail, hospitality, food and consumer services, their families, employers designing layoff policies, and HR teams.
Key Takeaway
A 2026 survey finds 48 per cent of laid-off women got no severance or support, against 34 per cent of men, leaving women more exposed when jobs go.
Questions and Answers
What did the 2026 layoff survey find about women?
Resume Genius found that 48 per cent of laid-off women received no severance, extended benefits or job placement help, compared with 34 per cent of men, and that 32 per cent of women had no warning, against 21 per cent of men.
How many people were surveyed?
The survey covered 1,000 laid-off workers in the United States and was carried out in July 2026.
Which industries gave the least support?
In retail, hospitality, food and consumer services, 62 per cent of laid-off respondents received no severance or other support.
Are these numbers the same across all surveys?
No. A separate survey by Zety found 66 per cent of laid-off women got no severance, against 60 per cent of men, using a different sample and definitions. The surveys should not be compared directly, but both show women faring worse.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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