In January, the number of layoffs in the United States surged, reaching the highest level for the month in 17 years

Odaily Planet Daily reports that due to a decrease in business contracts and an uncertain economic outlook, U.S. employers announced a surge in layoffs in January, reaching the highest level for that month in 17 years. The employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas stated that last month’s planned layoffs increased by 118% year-over-year to 108,435, marking the highest January record since the end of the global recession in 2009. “Typically, layoffs are more common in the first quarter, but the total number of layoffs in January this year is also quite high,” said the company’s Chief Revenue Officer Andy Challenger. “This indicates that most of these layoff plans were made by the end of 2025, suggesting that employers are not optimistic about the outlook for 2026.” The increase in layoffs was mainly driven by the transportation industry, with layoffs related to United Parcel Service totaling 31,243. The tech industry announced layoffs of 22,291, mostly from Amazon, which plans to cut 16,000 corporate jobs. Additionally, the healthcare sector also saw significant planned layoffs, partly due to reduced reimbursements for federally funded Medicaid and Medicare insurance programs. (Jin10)