"Planned layoffs have now reached their highest rate since 2009's Great Recession. The data comes from Challenger, Gray & Christmas' new layoffs report, which revealed that U.S.-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January, marking the highest rate to start a year since 2009. Also notable, in the same month, just 5,306 planned hires were announced-the lowest total on record for January."
"According to the data, that means layoffs are up a staggering 118% from the same period a year ago, and 205% from December 2025. 'Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high total for January,' Andy Challenger, workplace expert and chief revenue officer for the firm, said in the report. 'It means most of these plans were set at the end of 2025, signaling employers are less-than-optimistic about the outlook for 2026.'"
"The most hard-hit sectors for layoffs are transportation, technology, and health care industries. According to a Reuters report, 31,243 planned cuts came from United Parcel Service (UPS). UPS plans to close 24 facilities in 2026, as part of a major restructuring effort. On the tech side, 22,291 tech job cuts, most came from Amazon, as the company announced plans to lay off 16,000 corporate employees."
U.S.-based employers announced 108,435 planned job cuts in January, the highest January total since 2009. Planned hires totaled 5,306, the lowest January hiring figure on record. Layoffs rose 118% from the same month a year earlier and 205% from December 2025. Many of the January cuts were planned at the end of 2025, signaling reduced employer optimism for 2026. Transportation, technology, and health care were the most affected sectors. United Parcel Service accounted for 31,243 planned cuts and will close 24 facilities in 2026. Tech sector cuts reached 22,291, driven largely by Amazon’s 16,000 corporate layoffs.
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