Anyone else noticing the tightening of the purse strings?

Is it just me, or has the vibe in the office shifted over the last month? I’ve been with the company for over five years, and the current atmosphere feels noticeably different than in previous quarters. Travel budgets are getting slashed left and right, and I've heard whispers about 'headcount optimization' coming up in some of the departmental meetings. It’s hard to tell if this is just standard end-of-year fiscal prudence or if the higher-ups are preparing for something more substantial. My manager keeps dodging questions about backfilling the roles that opened up in our group last month. Trying to stay focused on my projects, but the constant Slack chatter about 'efficiency' is starting to get to me. Has anyone heard anything concrete, or is everyone just reading too much into the typical corporate tightening before Q4? It feels like we are all just waiting for an email that ruins the weekend.