Footwear, Fashion Job Losses Surpass 17,250 — And Continue to Climb

Core Insights - Global job losses in the fashion and footwear sectors are increasing, with at least 17,267 job cuts reported in 2025 [1] - The trend of job cuts is part of a broader pattern across various industries in the U.S., driven by factors such as automation and AI [4] Job Cuts in Fashion and Retail - Major companies like Nike, Puma, Saks Global, and Target are among those reducing their workforce [1] - U.S. retailers have announced 86,233 job cuts through September 2025, a 203% increase from 28,440 cuts in the same period last year [5] - Adidas plans to cut 500 positions to reduce complexity, while Amazon is set to eliminate 14,000 corporate jobs [7] - Burberry is cutting 1,700 jobs, representing 18% of its workforce, as part of a strategy to save $130 million by 2027 [8] - Carter's Inc. will lay off 300 staff and close 150 stores, while Kohl's Corp. has cut about 10% of its corporate jobs [9][12] Impact of Automation and AI - Companies like Intel and Microsoft are also reducing their workforces, with Intel cutting 24,000 jobs and Microsoft 9,000 [3] - The rise of AI and automation is cited as a significant factor behind many of these job cuts across various sectors [4] Specific Company Actions - Nike is reducing its corporate staff by 1%, following a previous cut of over 1,600 jobs in 2024 as part of a $2 billion cost-saving plan [14][15] - Puma's new CEO announced a reduction of 900 jobs, totaling 1,400 cuts for the year, indicating a challenging growth outlook until 2027 [16] - Target is eliminating 1,800 corporate positions, including 800 open jobs, due to structural changes aimed at improving decision-making [21] Broader Economic Context - The U.S. has seen nearly 950,000 job cuts from January to September 2025, marking the highest total since 2020 [4] - The government sector has experienced the most job losses, but tech and retail sectors are also significantly affected [4]