# Employers Quietly Rehire Workers They Fired for AI Employees laid off due to AI are being rehired at significantly lower wages. - **Source:** [The Next Web](https://brifing.si/source/afe24b20-b275-4c19-b9a6-8bb3c8babae7) - **Published:** 2026-08-23 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f28a023d-9004-498a-a57c-b3c25bd32e12 ## Regret Over Layoffs According to Forrester, 55% of employers regret laying off workers due to AI. The report expects half of AI-attributed layoffs to be quietly reversed. However, this reversal is not a positive outcome for employees. Jobs are either moved offshore or brought back at much lower wages. ## New Regulation in Europe A revised directive in Europe mandates consultation before layoffs, backed by financial penalties. Directive 2025/2450 must be transposed by January 1, 2028, and requires thorough assessment before decisions are made. This aims to protect workers while balancing innovation. ## Employee Concerns A Reuters Ipsos poll found that 53% of Americans fear AI will take away a family member's job. Similarly, a 2026 Software Finder report revealed that 53% of workers worry AI tools will make their roles less necessary. These concerns are mirrored in the workplace. ## Voluntary Solutions by Companies Some companies are taking voluntary steps to mitigate AI's impact. For example, Ironclad's CTO offers internal training, while syrup maker Torani has avoided layoffs for 103 years. Superhuman allows teams to choose their own tools, preventing the perception of change as cost-cutting. ## Legal Obligations in Europe In Europe, informing and consulting workers before layoffs is a legal requirement. Despite debates over whether rules can protect jobs without slowing innovation, the new directive sharpens this process and includes financial penalties. ## Meta's AI Investments While Meta invests billions in AI infrastructure, it has also eliminated 8,000 jobs. This highlights the dual impact of AI on the workforce. As companies explore AI's potential, the future of employees becomes increasingly uncertain. ## Different Approaches in America and Europe America and Europe are approaching AI's impact on the workforce differently. America debates whether to inform workers about AI's effects, while Europe determines when and in what form consultation should occur. It also calculates the cost of wrong decisions. ## Future Implications AI's impact on the workforce could have significant consequences for both companies and employees. The reversal of layoffs may lead to employees returning at lower wages. This period will be critical for understanding AI's long-term effects. ## Sources covering this story - https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-layoff-reversals-worker-trust-works-councils — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._