Sou Hu Cai Jing·2026-02-06 20:25Group 1 - Major companies such as Amazon, UPS, and Dow Chemical have announced large-scale layoffs, with total job losses expected to exceed 52,000, adding uncertainty to the U.S. economy [2] - The layoffs are a necessary correction to the "overexpansion" during the pandemic, as companies adjust to a return to normal consumer behavior and a slowdown in online growth [2][3] - UPS's CFO stated that layoffs are directly related to a decrease in package volume for Amazon, indicating a need to adjust scale [2] Group 2 - Companies are strategically responding to the pressures of technological revolution, particularly through the adoption of AI to reduce labor costs [3] - There is a clear trend of reallocating resources from traditional roles to future-oriented technology sectors, as seen in companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nike [3] - The macroeconomic environment, characterized by high interest rates and trade policy uncertainties, is prompting companies to streamline operations and focus on high-margin core businesses [4] Group 3 - Despite the layoffs, the overall scale of job cuts is not unusually high compared to pre-pandemic levels, with the U.S. unemployment rate remaining relatively low at 4.4% [4] - Long-term unemployment is becoming a significant issue, with the average duration of unemployment extending to 24.4 weeks as of December 2025, compared to 19.4 weeks in 2022 [4] - The current layoffs reflect the U.S. economy's attempt to balance inflation control with growth, highlighting the need for companies to successfully navigate this transition and create competitive new jobs [4]