Tech Titans in Panic: Why the Industry's Biggest Winners Feel They're Sinking Fast

SAN FRANCISCO — Throughout a nearly two-decade career, Susan Smith considered herself a winner in the American economic lottery. She moved easily between tech jobs, earning a salary of more than $500,000 in her most recent position, as a mid-tier executive at Meta. A single mom, Smith could afford two nannies and support her disabled son without financial worry.

But waves of layoffs and growing pressure to automate jobs are creating existential panic in the tech industry. Economists say other white-collar workers are next. The golden era of job security and sky-high compensation in tech is facing an unprecedented shake-up, leaving even the most successful feeling vulnerable.