It is relevant in most legislations I am aware of.
In my European country when you are talking redundancies there are three factors that need to be considered:
- family situation (having dependants put you in a better position, for obvious reasons)
- seniority
- company organizational needs (training, bases, roles, etc)
In no specific order.
There is room to negotiate with the unions, if present, but the law clearly state the criterias that have to be considered.