Mid-Career Crisis: Bombay Shaving Company CEO Warns Of Rising Layoffs Among 40-Somethings

As layoffs continue to reverberate throughout India's corporate sector, Shantanu Deshpande, founder and CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, has called attention to the growing job insecurity experienced by professionals in their 40s. People in this age group are among the most affected by corporate downsizing because of their senior roles and higher salaries, according to Deshpande, who recently called the problem a "global phenomenon" in a LinkedIn post.

He clarified that professionals in their 40s usually have a lot of financial obligations, such as paying for their children's education, taking care of their parents, and paying large EMIs, but they frequently don't have enough money saved. He claimed that when layoffs occur, this combination makes their situation particularly "worrying."

Deshpande stressed that because of their high salaries, these workers are frequently at the top of the list when businesses try to reduce expenses during uncertain economic times or internal reorganizations.

Deshpande counseled professionals to start planning early in order to mitigate the financial and emotional costs associated with mid-career unemployment. In order to better navigate the changing job landscape, he advised people in their 40s to save more money, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, and upskill in cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence.

Professionals between the ages of 40 and 45 are frequently the first to be laid off, according to one LinkedIn user who commented on the post, which generated discussion. This is particularly true for people who switch from established companies to startups in an effort to earn more money.

Recruiters now call this hiring conundrum the "40-40 problem," where people over 40 or with yearly salary expectations of more than ₹40 lakh find it difficult to find new positions. They are frequently perceived as being too expensive for mid-level roles, overqualified for junior positions, and lacking in expertise in more recent fields like automation, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.

40% of laid-off professionals, especially middle-aged men who typically bear the primary financial responsibility in Indian households, report experiencing extreme stress, according to a 2025 World Health Organization survey. The circumstance emphasizes the necessity of improved upskilling, financial planning, and workplace regulations that assist seasoned workers in a changing economy.