US EditionLayoffs hit their worst January levels since 2009, Challenger says
U.S. firms announced 108,435 layoffs in January 2026, a 118% increase year-over-year, driven by major cuts in transportation and technology sectors, while hiring hit a 17-year low.
- Thursday, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported U.S. employers announced 108,435 layoffs for January, the highest since 2009, while new hires fell to 5,306.
- Amazon, UPS and Dow Inc. announced sizeable job cuts recently, with UPS planning over 30,000 cuts in transportation and Amazon shedding 16,000 corporate jobs in technology.
- Challenger said `generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high total for January`, highlighting concerns over layoffs not reflected in official data.
- WARN filings show more than 100 companies issued layoff notices in January, while planned hiring dropped 13% year-over-year and 49% from December, signaling weaker employers' 2026 outlook.
- Compared with 2009, the January total was the highest since January 2009 during the 2009 crisis recession, but Challenger data volatility complicates alignment with official statistics.
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48 Articles
In January, companies fired over 108,000 employees.
US layoffs in January hit highest monthly record since 2009
US employers cut more jobs last month than in any period since 2009. More than 100,000 workers were fired at Amazon, UPS, and Dow, and hiring was the slowest for any January on record, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The low-fire, low-hire dynamic that has kept the US labor market in an anxious balance appears to have tipped.Amazon alone was directly or indirectly responsible for more than 40% of the losses, includin…
January layoffs rose to the highest level for the month since 2009
U.S. employers' announced job cuts surged in the month of January and hit the highest level since 2009, a new report shows.Global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January – an increase from the 49,795 cuts announced in the same month last year. Job cuts increased 205% from December, when there were 35,553 layoffs announced.This January saw the most layoffs fo…
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