Companies typically don't layoff because they want to have a laugh.

Companies layoff when they're in some sort of trouble. If you don't have the cash to support the staff, you can't will that into existence.

So it follows that companies that laid people off struggled for a bit. Because they were already struggling. It's not an instant cure, or even a guaranteed one. It's a measure to spend less so you can ride out the downtimes.

Another way of stating it is that "People who were sick with the flu seemed to tire more easily in the days that followed compared to people who weren't sick at all". It's to be expected.