One important thing to keep in mind regarding layers in SketchUp is that they are not layers in the sense used by other software. Layers in SketchUp are only used for controlling visibility.
When you correctly follow the rules of layer use in SketchUp, you should find that your workflow is easier, smoother, and less prone to errors because there is no need to chase the active layer. Since Layer 0 is always the active layer and all of your edges and faces are associated with Layer 0, any edits you make to the geometry in groups or components will be "on" the correct layer no matter what layer is associated with the group or component.
You shouldn't even need to have the Layers panel open while you are modeling. If you always have a standard set of layers which is common in architectural work, those layers could be made in advance and could even be part of the default template. In my modeling, there are no standard layers. I create layers after the model is pretty well completed. In either case, once the layers are created, you don't really need the layers panel because you assign layers to groups and components in Entity Info.
FWIW, sharing files is a big help when you have questions. Thanks for doing that right out of the gate. When you share a LayOut file, the SketchUp model is embedded in it so no need to also upload the SKP file.
