The thing that's "safer" about getting laid off when there are huge rounds throughout many different companies is that it is actually even more accurate to say that it had 0 to do with job performance.

True, obviously companies use layoffs to get rid of low performers, but there are just numerous cases where companies are canning entire divisions, e.g. the Alexa-device-focused teams at Amazon or the metaverse team at Disney.

I highly doubt these most recent layoffs will be treated as much of a black mark.

Following the Great Recession, there were job postings that literally said not to apply unless you already had a job. You wildly underestimate the degree to which HR will mindlessly inflict their uniformed bias on the rest of us.

Even if they don't make it an actual requirement, it's almost always easier to get a job while you have a job.