We made Laid Off thongs

Shop the (very limited!) drop and read the interview with founder and embroiderer Ines Davrainville.

Oct 16 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

24

1

Laid Off: And Documenting How DOGE Cuts Hit GovCon Workers

"The data reveals a workforce grappling not just with job loss but with fundamental questions about the value of public service"

Oct 8 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

14

5

September 2025

Philly Journalists Started an IRL Laid Off Club

"Many people have to sign NDAs when they’re let go from a job, so IRL you feel like you can let loose a bit more since it’s not in ink anywhere."

Sep 15 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

22

2

Laid Off: A Traumedy of Overwork and AI

"We're creating Bigfoot-level carbon footprints for a job like this?"

Sep 9 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

37

5

August 2025

Laid Off: And Finding Your People on Substack

"My friends are here, my inspirations are here, even my parents are here. My Substack is wine-focused but really it’s an elaborate diary of where I am."

Aug 28 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

28

7

Laid Off: And Navigating the Healthcare Sh*tshow

"With the new bill, there’s a lot of noise about work requirements and cuts to ACA expansion."

Aug 21 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

22

Laid Off: A Reporter During Union Negotiations

"Thanks to the union, we were able to get several more weeks of severance for everyone."

Aug 14 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

12

Laid Off: And Designing a Toddler-Friendly Cafe in DUMBO

"I’m excited to chase the dream of building something that’s my own, that hopefully becomes a legacy for my family."

Aug 7 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

38

4

July 2025

Laid Off: From Founder to Job Seeker, It's Brutal Out There

"These processes demand so much: personalized materials, multi-round interviews, spec work, emotional energy."

Jul 28 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

54

15

Laid Off asks, The Cut answers

"What kinds of severance packages are CEOs providing to employees replaced by automation? You deserve to know."

Jul 21 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

36

3

Laid Off: In a Cab to the Cancer Hospital

"I know there are very few layoff-free fields, but media? What a shitshow."

Jul 10 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

53

5

Laid Off: Nécessaire's Director of Influencer Marketing

"Stepping outside the full-time structure has allowed me to show up in the creator economy not just as a marketer, but also as a content creator."

Jul 1 • 

Melanie Ehrenkranz

25