United States Challenger Job Cuts

U.S.-based employers announced 105,441 job cuts in April, down sharply by 62% from March’s 275,240 but still 63% higher than in April 2024. It marked the highest total for the month since April 2020, when a record 671,129 layoffs were reported. So far in 2025, employers have announced 602,493 job cuts—the most for this time of year since 2020—mainly in government, due to DOGE-related cost-cutting, as well as in the tech and retail sectors. “Though government cuts are front and center, we saw job reductions across multiple sectors last month,” said Andrew Challenger, Senior Vice President at Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “Companies are generally pointing to economic uncertainty and the adoption of new technologies. Many employers are taking a wait-and-see approach, slowing hiring and scaling back plans as they assess developments in trade, supply chains, and consumer spending.”