US Job Cuts Reach 108,435 in January, Highest Since 2009

U.S. employers announced 108,435 planned job cuts in January, the highest total for the first month of the year since 2009, according to a report released Thursday by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The figure marked more than a doubling from the nearly 50,000 cuts announced in January 2025 and a threefold increase from December's 35,553.

The surge was driven largely by major announcements from United Parcel Service and Amazon. UPS, the world's largest package delivery company, said it would eliminate up to 30,000 jobs and close 24 facilities in 2026 as it reduces deliveries for Amazon and shifts toward more profitable operations. Amazon outlined plans to lay off 16,000 corporate employees while closing all its brick-and-mortar Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores, with some locations converting to Whole Foods. These actions accounted for about 40 percent of January's total announcements.

Transportation led the sectors with 31,243 cuts, primarily from UPS, followed by technology with 22,291, mostly from Amazon. Health care also saw notable reductions, linked in part to lower reimbursements from federal programs like Medicaid and Medicare. The primary reasons...