The tech industry is experiencing a paradoxical situation where major public companies like Google and Microsoft are reaching all-time high stock prices while simultaneously laying off thousands of employees. Since the start of this year, nearly 50,000 tech workers have lost their jobs, according to BI. Google has recently announced further layoffs and relocations, while Microsoft has initiated its third round of layoffs since January, affecting various teams and geographies. These layoffs are part of a broader trend where shareholders are rewarding cost-cutting measures over growth.