US layoffs soar past 1.1M in 2025, highest level since the pandemic

Summary of Key Points Core Viewpoint - Layoffs announced by U.S. employers in November decreased from October but still reached the highest total for the year since the pandemic-induced layoffs in 2020, indicating ongoing challenges in the job market [1][8]. Group 1: Layoff Statistics - U.S. employers announced 71,321 layoffs in November, a decrease of 53% from 153,074 in October [1]. - November layoffs were up 24% from 57,727 in the same month last year, marking the highest level for November since 2022 [2]. - Year-to-date job cuts reached 1,170,821 through November, a 54% increase from 761,358 in the same period of 2024 [7]. Group 2: Historical Context - Job cuts in November have exceeded 70,000 only twice since 2008, specifically in 2022 and 2008 [3]. - Historically, job cuts in November were below 70,000 from 1993 until 2000, with a significant spike during the recession year of 2001 [6]. Group 3: Industry-Specific Layoffs - The telecommunications sector led with 15,139 layoffs in November, primarily from Verizon, marking the highest monthly total since April 2020 [11]. - The tech sector announced 12,377 layoffs in November, bringing the total for 2025 to 153,536, an increase of 17% from last year [14]. - The food industry, particularly beef companies, announced 6,708 layoffs in November, totaling 34,165 for the year, a 26% increase from last year [14]. - Retailers reported 3,290 layoffs in November, with a cumulative total of 91,954 for the year, up 139% from 2024 [15].