Second Talent today announced the expansion of its Employer of Record (EOR) services, aimed at helping companies tap international tech talent in the wake of mass layoffs across the global technology sector.
The move comes as the industry faces its most turbulent year since the pandemic. More than 100,000 tech workers have been laid off globally in 2025, with major players like Intel (12,000 jobs cut), Microsoft (10,000), and Meta (8,000) trimming staff despite ongoing investments in AI. Amazon, Google, Salesforce, and Cisco have also carried out deep workforce reductions.
Analysts point to a combination of factors—economic slowdown, over-hiring during COVID, and the rapid shift toward AI and automation—as the drivers of these restructurings. The result: instability in traditional hiring practices and heightened demand for flexible, cross-border workforce models.
Fast-Track to Global Hiring
Second Talent’s EOR services allow companies to compliantly hire talent overseas without establishing local entities. By managing payroll, taxes, benefits, and labor law compliance, the model reduces both administrative overhead and time-to-market.
“As the tech industry recalibrates following massive layoffs, businesses need flexible and compliant hiring solutions to remain competitive,” said Elton Chan, co-founder of Second Talent. “Our Employer of Record services simplify international hiring complexities, enabling companies to rapidly onboard skilled talent, reduce costs, and focus on growth.”
A recent case study underscores the appeal: a U.S.-based fintech startup used Second Talent to assemble an engineering team across Vietnam and the Philippines. The company reduced onboarding time by 75% and cut payroll administration costs by 40% in just six months.
Southeast Asia in Focus
Second Talent’s EOR coverage spans Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore—a region that has become a growing hub for global tech outsourcing. By localizing compliance and benefits management, the platform helps companies de-risk cross-border hiring while scaling efficiently.
Originally developed to meet its own internal needs, Second Talent’s EOR framework quickly proved market-ready. With growing demand from startups and enterprises alike, the company has now scaled the service to external clients globally.
The Bottom Line
As tech giants trim their headcount, the demand for lean, distributed, and compliant hiring solutions is rising. Second Talent’s expanded EOR offering positions it to capture that demand, helping companies turn a disruptive wave of layoffs into an opportunity to build more agile, global teams.
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