Layoffs in 40s: Bombay Shaving Company CEO Flags Global Trend Hitting India’s Mid-Aged Workforce

He explained that professionals in their 40s are more susceptible to layoffs as companies tighten budgets and target the highest-paid employees for cost-cutting. Deshpande offered three key survival tips: “Upskill on AI, save more, and build an entrepreneurial mindset.”

Shantanu Deshpande, CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, has drawn attention to the rising number of layoffs affecting professionals in their 40s. Referring to it as a "global phenomenon," Deshpande highlighted that this age bracket is taking the highest risk due to their seniority and greater salaries. He explained that professionals in their 40s are more susceptible to layoffs as companies tighten budgets and target the highest-paid employees for cost-cutting.

“Many professionals in their 40s are juggling college expenses for their children, financial support for aging parents, EMIs, and often have limited savings,” Deshpande noted in an Instagram post. This age is often perceived as the “golden salary phase” of one's career, making layoffs at this stage not just a financial burden but an emotional disaster as well. “At this age, you have the most responsibilities—EMIs, kids' education, aging parents.

The question is, how to prepare for the storm ahead?” he wrote. In response to a query on LinkedIn about potential solutions to this issue, Deshpande offered three key survival tips: “Upskill on AI, save more, and build an entrepreneurial mindset.” Many online users echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that professionals in their 40s need to diversify and continuously upskill to remain relevant in the corporate world.

One LinkedIn user commented, “The most vulnerable are those between 40 and 45. They’re often the first to be laid off, especially when transitioning from large corporations to startups in search of higher pay.” Another user wrote, “If 40-year-olds lose their jobs, they stop paying EMIs and bills—leading to a rise in defaults.

This is a global issue.” On Instagram, a user pointed out, “It’s difficult to change your skill set at this age.” A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that 40% of workers affected by layoffs experience severe stress, with middle-aged men—who are often the primary earners in Indian households—disproportionately impacted.

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