How Workers Adapt to Layoffs and Economic Uncertainty

Economic volatility, policy shifts in Washington, and rapid advances in AI are reshaping work and the risks workers face. Occupational health psychologist Andrea Bazzoli, a professor of Psychology and Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the CUNY Graduate Center and Baruch College, joins host Tanya Domi to examine how economic stressors intersect with workplace safety, with a focus on vulnerable and marginalized workers. Drawing on his research, Bazzoli explains how job insecurity, layoffs, and remote work dynamics affect opportunity and mental health, and why employer and government responses are pivotal. The conversation also explores recent political turbulence — from leadership changes at the Bureau of Labor Statistics to tariff policies — and how those decisions filter into prices, employer behavior, and worker confidence. Bazzoli’s insights reveal how people cope with instability, and he outlines practical steps institutions can take to build fairer, safer workplaces.