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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

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.

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