US Job Cuts Fall 55% to 48,307 in February 2026

United States employers announced 48,307 job cuts in February 2026, a sharp decline from the previous month's total and the lowest figure for that month in over a year, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The February number marked a 55 percent drop from January's 108,435 layoffs and a 72 percent decrease compared to the 172,017 cuts reported in February 2025. For the first two months of the year, companies disclosed 156,742 job reductions, the fifth-highest January-February total since 2009. This cumulative figure, while elevated relative to historical benchmarks, represented the lowest such period since 2022.

The slowdown in announcements provided some relief after a strong start to the year, but experts cautioned that broader economic and geopolitical pressures could reverse the trend. Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, described the February dip as "a nice reprieve from the elevated job cut plans to start the year." He added that U.S. involvement in an escalating conflict with Iran might prompt more reductions by the end of the first quarter, as firms contend with rising costs and supply chain issues.