Nobody is immune to layoffs. Whether you're an executive or an entry-level hire, layoffs can - and probably will - affect you at some point in your career. Consultants and freelancers have a bit of a buffer thanks to their multiple income streams, but when their industry suffers, they suffer too. (There's nothing like losing four clients in a single month.)

We've told you how to prepare if you think you're going to lose your job, and this tool will even give you a rough idea of what your chances are. But over at Credit.com, writer Nikelle Murphy lists some specific types of employees that are usually the first to go during a layoff.

Microsoft has announced it will gut 1850 more jobs from its smartphone hardware business this year, with the bulk of job losses coming from Microsoft Mobile Oy in Finland. The $950 million business write-off (or "streamlining", as Microsoft calls it) comes a week after the company sold off its feature phone division to Foxconn in a $350 million fire sale. It was nice knowing you, Nokia.