U.S. Job Cuts Hit 153,074 in October 2025

U.S. employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October 2025, the highest total for the month in more than two decades and a sharp increase from the 55,597 cuts reported in October 2024. The figure, tracked by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, reflects a broader trend of labor market contraction, with more than 1.1 million jobs eliminated nationwide from January through October, surpassing the one-million mark faster than in any year since the 2020 pandemic.

The surge marks a 183 percent rise from September's 54,064 announcements, signaling accelerated corporate belt-tightening amid economic pressures. Technology and warehousing sectors bore the brunt of the cuts, with tech firms reporting 33,281 layoffs in October, up from 5,639 the prior month. Warehousing companies announced 47,878 job reductions, a more than fourfold increase month-over-month. Retail followed with 2,431 cuts, contributing to 88,664 year-to-date losses, a 145 percent jump from the same period last year. The public sector led all industries with 307,000 job losses through October, largely due to federal budget constraints and the ongoing government shutdown, which has furloughed thousands of...