Layoff announcements top 1.1 million in 2025, the most since 2020 pandemic, Challenger says

US Labor Market Overview - US job cuts in 2023 have surpassed 1.17 million, the highest since 2020 [1] - November layoff plans totaled 71,321 [1] - Year-to-date job cuts are 54% higher than the same period last year [1] - Private employers cut 32,000 jobs in November, the biggest decline in over two and a half years [3] Reasons for Layoffs - Restructuring was the most cited reason for November layoffs [2] - Closings and market or economic conditions also contributed to layoffs [2] - Tariffs drove over 2,000 cuts in November and nearly 8,000 year-to-date [2] - AI was cited for over 54,000 layoffs this year [2] Labor Market Concerns - Rising concerns exist regarding the state of the US labor market [3] - October saw 153,000 cuts, the highest for the month in 22 years [3]