Asset Management

Traders afraid of layoffs ‘close to breaking point’ as work-life balance suffers

Two thirds of buyside traders say their mental health has suffered in 2022 despite the adoption of more flexible working arrangements

Thursday 2 February 2023 at 07:11

The fear of being fired was listed as a key stressor in 2022, as companies outsourced roles and hired juniors to keep costs down
The fear of being fired was listed as a key stressor in 2022, as companies outsourced roles and hired juniors to keep costs down Photo: Dedraw Studio/Getty Images

Buyside traders have seen their mental health deteriorate over the past year, with fears of job cuts and high-performance expectations leading to more experiencing burnout.

According to a December poll of 96 trading bosses from global asset managers and hedge funds — with $20tn in assets under management — two thirds of traders said their mental health had suffered since the coronavirus pandemic, a jump up from the 57% who said they had been affected in 2021.