Overview
- U.S. employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October, pushing 2025’s total to roughly 1.1 million and marking the highest October since 2003.
- Companies most frequently cited cost-cutting and artificial intelligence for October reductions, accounting for about 50,437 and 31,039 planned cuts, respectively.
- Warehousing led October announcements with 47,878 cuts, followed by technology at 33,281, with notable reductions also recorded in retail, consumer products, and services.
- Planned hiring reached 488,077 through October, the lowest year-to-date tally since 2011, with seasonal hiring plans at their weakest since tracking began in 2012.
- With Labor Department releases paused, Challenger’s layoff counts are drawing extra scrutiny alongside ADP’s report showing 42,000 private-sector jobs added in October.