You just got laid off. What should you do next?
CBSN
More U.S. workers are being handed pink slips as the Fed pumps the economic brakes in a bid to slow inflation, with layoff announcements spiking in September.
Job cuts rose 46% from August to nearly 30,000 in September. Workers suddenly out in the cold may wonder about their rights when they lose their jobs and what steps they should take upon being dismissed — key issues that are easy to overlook in the heat of a difficult moment but that can seriously impact a person's immediate financial prospects after a layoff.
"Most employees don't realize how much is at stake with a layoff or separation that is for a cause that's not misconduct," said New York City employment attorney Christopher Q. Davis. "There is a lot of money and rights at stake that most people don't think about, and there really is a lot that could go wrong."
From missed doctor's appointments to lost wages, Minneapolis and St. Paul residents faced widespread disruptions to their daily lives when the White House deployed thousands of federal immigration agents to their cities, a University of San Diego survey released this week found. In:
The U.S. Postal Service is temporarily hiking postage prices to account for surging fuel costs caused by the Iran war, the agency announced on Wednesday. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
A panel of appeals court judges handed the Trump administration a major legal victory on Wednesday in its quest to detain large swaths of immigrants living in the country illegally, saying that people who entered the United States without inspection and admission can be detained without bond. Jonah Kaplan and Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed to this report.
The White House has rejected an offer from billionaire Elon Musk to fund pay TSA workers during a partial government shutdown that has disrupted airport travelers across the country, several sources told CBS News. Kristin Brown and Kathryn Krupnik contributed to this report. In:
Washington — The Justice Department has reached a settlement with former Trump national security official and right-wing activist Michael Flynn after he sued the department, alleging that he was wrongly prosecuted during the first Trump administration. In:
The Trump administration will temporarily lift summer gasoline regulations as prices at the pump near $4 a gallon amid the Iran war. Edited by Aimee Picchi In:
Some of America's wealthiest couples are collecting $100,000 in Social Security benefits — a six-figure payout that a new proposal says should be capped to help the retirement program avoid insolvency in 2032. Edited by Alain Sherter In:
El Paso and Los Angeles were among the most polluted areas in the United States last year, according to a new air quality report that evaluated pollution levels around the world in 2025. In:
Washington — For the first time in history, a robot, not a person, escorted the first lady of the United States Wednesday at the White House.
A jury on Wednesday found that Meta and YouTube are liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by young users, a landmark decision that could set a legal precedent for similar allegations brought against social media companies. Edited by Alain Sherter and Aimee Picchi In:
"Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie said her family is in agony as she made a tearful plea for someone "to do the right thing" nearly two months after her mother Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Arizona home. In:
Washington — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that internet service provider Cox Communications cannot be held liable for copyright infringement by its subscribers in a closely watched dispute over pirated music.
Joey Amor says his wife, Army Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, was "the rock" and "the glue" for those around her — a role he says defined her life and service before she was killed earlier this month during the war with Iran. In: