Factories on the Moon

The numbers are brutal: 6,000 Microsoft employees laid off while the company invests $13 billion in OpenAI. This week on Claws x Code, Joi and Jey dive deep into the uncomfortable reality of Big Tech's efficiency obsession and why we might literally have moon factories before fair employment practices.

The Gendered Reality of Tech Layoffs

Here's the stat that should make everyone uncomfortable: according to Harvard Business Review research, women and underrepresented workers bore the brunt of Big Tech's recent cuts. HR professionals, project managers, administrators, and recruiters - roles traditionally filled by women - were the first to go.

"Post pandemic it was like, 'oh bring women into the workforce, bring black and brown people into the workforce,'" Joi points out. "Now... I don't understand the shift." The irony is devastating: the same companies that made diversity commitments systematically cut the roles that housed that diversity.

Silicon Valley's Dangerous Gamble

Jey shares intel from Silicon Valley friends now working in semiconductor manufacturing - packing glass components for chip production. The reality check hits hard when you learn why these jobs were outsourced in the first place: semiconductor manufacturing workers face significantly higher cancer rates due to chemical exposure.

"Get every health check up you possibly can while you're employed," Joi warns. "The reason they don't have those jobs in America is because a lot of people that work them get cancer." We outsourced the danger, but tariff pressures are forcing these health risks back to American workers.

Moon Colonies in Three Years

While earthbound employment implodes, space industry hiring explodes. Vast is already booking lunar flights, but here's the twist: they're hiring engineers only, no designers needed. The aesthetic of survival apparently doesn't require a design thinking workshop.

"People will be building on the moon in three years," Joi predicts. It's not science fiction anymore - it's an escape hatch for industries that can't navigate terrestrial supply chains and labor costs.

LinkedIn's Hidden Career Algorithm

Jey discovers the wild reality of LinkedIn's career tier system: working at a unicorn startup unlocks exclusive job filters. "It was letting me choose to only search by startups that had billion dollar valuations," they reveal.

Your LinkedIn feed isn't neutral - it's curated by your career prestige level. The algorithm knows your worth before you do, serving opportunities based on your resume's algorithmic street cred.

The AI Displacement Reality Check

While companies fire humans to fund AI investments, the displacement predictions get darker. McKinsey research suggests anesthesiologists could be replaced by computers that calculate patient medication needs. "Unless it hallucinates the wrong answer and then people die," Joi notes with characteristic directness.

Listen Now

Catch the full conversation where we explore why your hardware choices reveal your profession, the pendulum swing on AI adoption, and whether we'll solve employment equity before we colonize space. Available on all podcast platforms and our podcast archive.

Episode Links:

• Episode 8: Hardware Confessions - Perfect follow-up on professional tool choices
• Episode 4: Why Everyone Sucks at AI Prompting - Essential context for AI job displacement discussions

Related Products:

• Mechanical Keyboards Collection - Perfect for those late-night job hunting sessions
• Tech Accessories - Level up your setup while industries restructure