US Job Cuts Fall in February
Layoffs Plunge 55% to 48,307 in February; Hiring Plans Down 56% YTD
According to the Challenger, Gray & Christmas (CG&C) Job Cut Announcement Report released on Thursday, US-based employers announced 48,307 job cuts in February, a 55% decrease from January’s 108,435 cuts. Year-over-year, announced cuts were down 72% from 107,017.
So far this year, companies have announced 156,742 job cuts, the fifth-highest January–February total since 2009. However, it is the lowest total for the first two months of the year since 2022, when 34,309 cuts were recorded.
CG&C noted that job cuts in February were widespread, with significant reductions in technology (11,039), healthcare products (19,228), education (5,417), industrial manufacturing (4,109), and media and news (630).
Employers announced plans to add 12,755 jobs in February, up 140% from 5,306 in January but down 63% from 34,580 in February 2025. CG&C reported that so far this year, employers plan to add 18,061 jobs, down 56% from the 40,669 announced through the first two months of last year.
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