Layoffs Soar to Great Recession Levels as Companies Cut 1.1 Million Jobs this Year
By Brian Daitzman
Layoffs in the United States have reached their highest level in more than a decade, signaling a turn in the labor market after years of remarkable resilience. New data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which tracks corporate workforce reductions, show that U.S. employers announced 1.1 million job cuts through October — the most since the pandemic, and comparable to totals recorded during 2008 and 2009. The surge includes some of the largest corporate layoffs in years, with tens of thousands of positions eliminated at logistics, retail, and technology firms.
In October alone, companies announced roughly 153,000 job cuts, an increase of 183 percent from September, making it the worst October for layoffs since 2003, according to the firm’s monthly report.
The last time layoffs were this elevated for the month was amid the early-2000s downturn, when the technology sector collapsed under the weight of over-expansion and shifting demand. This year, a different kind of technological upheaval is under way: businesses are blaming automation and artificial intelligence for productivity gains that allow them to do more with fewer workers.
“We’re entering new territory with these layoffs,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. He added that the scale of cuts by companies such as UPS and Amazon reflects a broader shift in corporate strategy. (Washington Post, November 6, 2025 )
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