08.01.202610:51:47UTC+00December US Job Cuts Lowest in 17 Months

In December 2025, U.S.-based employers reported 35,553 job cuts, marking the lowest figure since July 2024. This is a significant decrease from the 71,321 job cuts announced in November and represents an 8% reduction compared to December 2024 levels. Andy Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas noted, "The year concluded with the fewest announced layoff plans overall. Although December typically sees a slowdown, the combination of fewer layoffs and increased hiring plans is an encouraging sign following a year characterized by substantial job cutting plans." Throughout 2025, companies announced a total of 1,206,374 job cuts, reflecting a 58% rise from 2024 and the highest since 2020. The Government sector experienced the highest number of job cuts, totaling 308,167, largely within the Federal Government. In the private sector, the Technology industry led with 154,445 job cuts. Challenger explained, "The technology sector has been transitioning rapidly to both developing and integrating AI, more swiftly than any other industry. This, along with excessive hiring over the past decade, has resulted in significant job losses in the sector." Conversely, employers declared plans to hire 507,647 individuals, which is a 34% decrease from 2024 figures and the lowest since 2010.