Sudden layoffs and job uncertainty are exposing how even well-paid professionals across sectors were less financially resilient than their salaries suggested. The shock is cutting across age groups and income levels, showing that high salaries and marquee roles did not necessarily come with enough financial cushion.

From mid-career executives juggling EMIs and dependents to younger employees freezing investments and older professionals confronting redundancy, the fallout is proving both financial and emotional.

Their stories show how quickly a steady income can mask vulnerability, especially when households carry fixed obligations but lack a deep emergency buffer.

Jagadeesh Srinivas | Finance professional

Jagadeesh Srinivas, 39, a finance professional, began his career in 2008 after completing an MBA from Anna University. Over nearly two decades, he has built experience across investment banking, treasury and capital markets, working with multiple banks, MNCs and IT firms.

In 2024, he joined a global firm operating as a start-up in India as a Lead Business Analyst, earning about ₹30 lakh annually. On the personal front, Chennai-based Srinivas has been the primary breadwinner since his father’s death over a decade ago. His responsibilities include supporting his mother and managing family milestones, including his sister’s recent marriage, which coincided with a layoff.

He currently manages monthly EMIs exceeding ₹1 lakh, spanning a home, car and personal loan. An active investor, he participates in equities (non-intraday), mutual funds via SIPs and cryptocurrencies, with monthly SIPs of ₹6,000-7,000.

Despite tight cash flows, he managed to build a corpus of ₹15-20 lakh over the years — which came in handy during his sister’s wedding in November. His investing journey has seen both gains and losses, shaping a practical understanding of market cycles. “Uncertainty is inevitable,” he says, adding that the layoff, though difficult, has strengthened his resilience and long-term perspective. He says he did not follow a formal financial plan earlier and is still sceptical of rigid planning even after the layoff. “You cannot live life in a 100 per cent planned manner,” he says. With his current funds, he estimates he can stay comfortable for only about two months.

Ritu Jayapurkar | Software engineer

Ritu Jayapurkar, a software engineer with about three years of experience, began her career at a global technology company in the telecom domain at Pune. Based away from her family, she has had minimal financial liabilities so far.

Earning around ₹10 lakh annually, she had been investing 40-50 per cent of her income across instruments, adjusting allocations based on market conditions.

However, a recent layoff has shifted her priorities. Her immediate focus is finding a new job, with investment decisions now on hold. While she has received a performance bonus recently and expects a severance package, she is yet to plan its deployment. Upskilling is on the radar, though her current focus remains on securing employment.

She believes her savings and expected severance should allow her to remain in Pune while she continues her job search. “It’s only a matter of time before I land one,” she signs off.

Vishal Mathur | Fintech professional

Vishal Mathur, 43, began his career in 2007 with a private bank in Mumbai before moving to a global bank in Pune and later relocating to Singapore, where he spent over a decade. He returned to Pune in 2022 and continued with the same organisation through a transition following its acquisition.

In late 2025, he was informed that his role would be made redundant, despite having recently delivered a key project. Though placed on garden leave with continued salary, the uncertainty was mentally taxing.

By February 2026, Mathur secured an internal role within the organisation, in Pune itself, avoiding job-loss and maintaining financial stability.

As the sole earning member of a family of five, his responsibilities are significant. He has no loans but spends ₹50,000-75,000 monthly on therapy for his child with ADHD, alongside education and household expenses.

Though his salary is around ₹3 lakh a month, he says it is largely absorbed by his family’s current obligations. According to him, his current savings are essentially what he could amass while in Singapore (10-and-a-half years), which have been deployed across equities, mutual funds and real estate.

Dheeraj Pandya | Software professional

San Francisco-based Dheeraj Pandya began his career in 2000 and moved to the US in 2009, joining a global technology firm in 2013. His wife, a dentist, has been practising since 2015. Their son is set to begin college this year, with tuition fee expected to exceed $50,000 annually. The family’s monthly outgo is about $16,000, including EMIs on two homes, two cars and utilities. “Until seven months ago, we shared these expenses. Now, my wife is handling them entirely,” he says.

In January 2025, they bought a new home and spent $100,000 on upgrades, moving in by March. By September, he was laid off. “We’ve managed for seven months, but it’s getting difficult,” he says, pointing to rising fuel costs: “Gas was $3.20 a gallon in February; it’s now $6.20.”

The income shock was compounded by a steep fall in the value of his stock options, from $350 to $130 per share. Monthly passive-fund investments of $6,000-7,000 have now been paused.

Healthcare has emerged as a major expense. While employed, insurance cost $4,000 a month, of which he paid $700. Now, dental and vision coverage alone costs about $80-100 per month for the entire family.

To ease cash flow, the family reduced the EMI on their first home from $7,000 back to $4,000. Discretionary spending has been cut sharply. Regular travel — once every two-three months at roughly $3,000 per trip — has stopped. “We’ve eliminated waste,” he says. “We now buy groceries only when needed.”

Bhargav Ramesh | Software professional

A 38-year-old software testing professional, Bhargav has around 13 years of experience, all in Chennai. He worked at his last organisation from November 2023 to December 2025.

He comes from a modest background — his father was a machine operator and his mother a homemaker. Married in 2023, his wife is employed as a PEGA System Architect.

At the time of his layoff, his CTC was ₹19 lakh per annum. His only liability — a personal loan with a ₹15,000 EMI — was closed two months ago. They have no other loans and own a 10-year-old car outright.

Bhargav invested ₹15,000 monthly in PPF, while his wife invested through mutual fund SIPs. He also contributes ₹50,000 each month to his parents, who live in their own home, and hopes to continue contributing going forward too. Their expenses are modest, with surplus savings channelled into chits and gold purchases. He also pays health insurance premia of about ₹1 lakh per parent annually.

The couple’s monthly household expenses, including rent, are around ₹35,000.

Despite intending to, they were unable to build an emergency fund. Over the past 18 months, they have spent ₹9 lakh on IVF treatment. “While I was working, we shared the cost. After the layoff, it’s been managed through my wife’s salary and my severance,” he says. However, he can’t hold on for long comfortably, he says. The family can manage for about seven months with current funds, after which supporting the household would become difficult if he remains unemployed, he adds.

For now, PPF contributions are on hold. Once re-employed, he plans to resume ₹15,000 monthly investments. The couple is also considering buying gold each month (₹20,000-25,000) and starting SIPs of about ₹15,000.

Meanwhile, Bhargav has spent ₹35,000 on upskilling, completing two certifications to improve job prospects, and has enrolled in French classes to learn a new language.

Names changed on request

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Published on April 18, 2026