U.S. 2025 Job Layoffs Top 1.17 Million, Highest Since Pandemic Year/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ U.S. companies have announced over 1.17 million layoffs in 2025 through November, marking the highest total since the pandemic-hit year of 2020. November job cuts were lower than October but still up year-over-year. Telecom, tech, and retail industries led in workforce reductions amid economic and policy uncertainties.
U.S. Layoff Surge Quick Looks
- 1,170,821 layoffs announced in 2025 through November — up 54% from 2024.
- November’s total: 71,321 cuts, down from October but up 24% from last year.
- Largest number of annual job cuts since 2020 pandemic layoffs.
- Telecom sector led November job cuts with over 15,000 layoffs, mainly at Verizon.
- Tech sector announced 153,536 layoffs in 2025, a 17% rise from 2024.
- Retail layoffs up 139%, with over 91,000 jobs cut in 2025.
- Food and beef industries also announced significant job losses this year.
- Layoff trends highest in November since 2008 and 2022.
- 2025 marks only the sixth time since 1993 that layoffs topped 1.1M by November.
- Job cuts align with fiscal year-end planning, despite pushback since the Great Recession.
Deep Look: U.S. Layoffs in 2025 Hit 1.17 Million, Highest Since COVID-Era Crisis
WASHINGTON — Job cuts in the United States have surged past 1.17 million in 2025, reaching the highest level since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to new data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
The firm’s monthly job cut report reveals that although November saw a decline in monthly layoffs — with 71,321 jobs cut, down 53% from October’s 153,074 — the year-to-date total has now surpassed every other year since 2020.
November’s job cut total was 24% higher than the same month last year, making it the eighth month in 2025 where layoffs outpaced those in the corresponding month of the previous year.
A Post-Pandemic High for Layoffs
“Layoff plans fell last month. Certainly a positive sign,” said Andy Challenger, senior vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “That said, job cuts in November have risen above 70,000 only twice since 2008: in 2022 and 2008.”
The total number of 1,170,821 job cuts marks a 54% increase from the 761,358 announced through the first 11 months of 2024. The current tally is now the fifth highest on record since 1993.
Only five other years have crossed the 1.1 million layoff threshold by November:
- 2020: 2,227,725 layoffs (pandemic-driven)
- 2001: 1,956,876 (recession year)
- 2002: 1,373,906
- 2009: 1,242,936
- 2025: 1,170,821
Sector-Specific Impacts
The layoffs have hit a wide range of sectors, but some industries stand out for their sharp increases in workforce reductions.
1. Telecommunications:
- 15,139 layoffs in November alone, largely due to Verizon.
- Highest monthly total since April 2020.
- 38,035 layoffs year-to-date — a 268% increase from 2024.
- 12,377 layoffs in November.
- 153,536 tech layoffs in 2025 through November — up 17% from 2024.
- Continues to lead all sectors in total job cuts.
3. Retail:
- 3,290 layoffs in November.
- 91,954 job cuts announced in 2025 — a 139% increase year-over-year.
- Reflects shifting consumer habits and pressure on physical storefronts.
4. Food Industry (Beef Sector Focus):
- 6,708 job cuts in November.
- 34,165 layoffs in 2025 — up 26% from last year.
- 5,509 layoffs in November.
- Year-to-date: 69,089 layoffs — up 64% from 2024 totals.
Strategic Timing and Corporate Trends
Historically, employers have timed layoffs around the end of the calendar year to align with fiscal year-end budgeting. However, since the Great Recession, announcing job cuts near the holidays has become less common due to public backlash and reputational concerns.
“It became unpopular after the Great Recession,” said Challenger. “Best practice dictated that layoff plans would occur at times other than the holidays.”
Despite that shift in corporate strategy, the pressure of rising interest rates, global economic uncertainty, and market restructuring has forced many companies to scale down staffing before the new year.
Broader Economic Context
In addition to the layoff figures, the private sector unexpectedly lost 32,000 jobs in November, according to ADP, further signaling a potential cooling in the labor market. Small businesses, especially those affected by tariff uncertainty, have been especially cautious with hiring.
The wave of layoffs contrasts with optimism in sectors like artificial intelligence, which continues to see investment and expansion. Some analysts argue that the growth of AI and automation may be reshaping workforce needs, leading to restructuring in traditional industries.
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