Last month was the worst January for job cut announcements since 2009
Last month was the worst January for job cut announcements since 2009
https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/05/economy/us-jobs-data-layoffs-hiring
Publish Date: 2026-02-05 07:30:00
Source Domain: www.cnn.com
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In January, US-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts, marking the worst month for layoffs in January since 2009 and tripling from December’s numbers.
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Two major firms, Amazon and UPS, accounted for around 40% of these layoffs, planning to cut 16,000 and 30,000 jobs respectively.
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The layoff announcements were concentrated in five industries: transportation, technology, health care and health products, chemical, and financial.
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According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, this trend shows employers’ reduced optimism about the outlook for 2026, likely decided towards the end of 2025.
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January also saw the lowest hiring plans for that month, with employers revealing intentions to hire only 5,306 workers, a record low since tracking began in 2009.
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The primary reasons cited for the layoffs were contract loss, market and economic conditions, restructuring, closures, artificial intelligence advancements, and tariffs.
