The layoffs are a power grab against wage increases. Companies have been reporting record profits for years, inefficient my ass.

If you can do your allotted work in less time you're just more productive, if a company gave a shit about this they could solve the problem by having a direct compensation increase for work load increase. After all, the employment negotiation happened in the interview. Responsibilities and compensation are already decided upon, it's insane that you can just be handed more work because you're too good to do the work they gave you slow enough. If the workers actually had power in the negotiation like free market morons think they do, they'd be able to adjust their own salary when the employer adjusts their workload. Since they can't, the balance of power is obviously squarely in the employers court.

Want them to do more? Pay them more and then give them more responsibilities. It's so easy to solve, but companies think they can just extract more effort for the same dollar they agreed upon when the employee was hired. Ludicrous.