US-based employers announced 33,429 job cuts in July 2026, the fewest in two years, down 27% from June and 46% compared with the same month last year. AI led all reasons for job cuts for a fifth straight month and was responsible for 10.97K during the month. The tech sector cut the most jobs (9.867K), followed by financial (3.157K), government (2.962K), and services (2.581K). Through July, employers have announced 477,033 job cuts, down 41% from the 806,383 cuts announced in the first seven months of 2025. Technology leads all industries with 149,023 cuts announced through July, followed by Transportation with 41,748, Health Care/Products with 34,426, Services with 23,942, and Government with 20,752. Meanwhile, employers announced plans to hire 16,095 workers in July, the highest July total since 2022. “Hiring has also increased over last year by 25%, so while AI is shifting the labor market, it is not dismantling it,” said Andy Challenger from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. source: Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc.

Challenger Job Cuts in the United States decreased to 33429 Persons in July from 45849 Persons in June of 2026. Challenger Job Cuts in the United States averaged 67064.10 Persons from 1994 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 671129.00 Persons in April of 2020 and a record low of 14875.00 Persons in November of 2021. This page provides the latest reported value for - United States Challenger Job Cuts - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United States Challenger Job Cuts - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on August of 2026.

Challenger Job Cuts in the United States decreased to 33429 Persons in July from 45849 Persons in June of 2026. Challenger Job Cuts in the United States is expected to be 78000.00 Persons by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United States Challenger Job Cuts is projected to trend around 92000.00 Persons in 2027 and 103000.00 Persons in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-07-01 09:30 AM
Challenger Job Cuts
Jun 45.849K 97.006K 85K
2026-08-06 09:30 AM
Challenger Job Cuts
Jul 33.429K 45.849K 59.0K
2026-09-03 09:30 AM
Challenger Job Cuts
Aug 33.429K 62.0K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
ADP Employment Change 44.00 95.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Average Hourly Earnings MoM 0.10 0.30 percent Jul 2026
Average Hourly Earnings YoY 3.20 3.40 percent Jul 2026
Average Weekly Hours 34.30 34.30 Hours Jul 2026
Challenger Job Cuts 33429.00 45849.00 Persons Jul 2026
Continuing Jobless Claims 1801.00 1777.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Employed Persons 162177.00 162264.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Employment Cost Index 0.90 0.90 percent Jun 2026
Employment Cost - Benefits 1.00 1.20 percent Jun 2026
Employment Cost - Wages 0.90 0.80 percent Jun 2026
Employment Rate 58.90 59.00 percent Jul 2026
Full Time Employment 133553.00 133659.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Government Payrolls -53.00 -10.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Challenger Hiring Plans 16095.00 10933.00 Persons Jul 2026
Initial Jobless Claims 199.00 198.00 Thousand Aug 2026
Job Layoffs and Discharges 1766.00 1761.00 Thousand Jun 2026
JOLTs Job Openings 7359.00 7537.00 Thousand Jun 2026
JOLTs Job Quits 3232.00 3153.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Job Quits Rate 2.00 2.00 Percent Jun 2026
Job Openings 7140.00 7500.00 Thousand Jun 2026
Jobless Claims 4-week Average 198.75 203.25 Thousand Aug 2026
Participation Rate 61.40 61.50 percent Jul 2026
Labour Costs 123.78 123.22 points Mar 2026
Long Term Unemployment Rate 1.05 1.14 percent Jul 2026
Manufacturing Payrolls 5.00 11.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Minimum Wages 7.25 7.25 USD/Hour Dec 2026
Non Farm Payrolls -23.00 20.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Nonfarm Payrolls Private 30.00 30.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Nonfarm Productivity 1.40 0.80 percent Jun 2026
Part Time Employment 28764.00 28626.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Population 342.28 340.97 Million Dec 2025
Productivity 120.02 119.59 points Jun 2026
Retirement Age Men 67.00 66.83 Years Dec 2026
Retirement Age Women 67.00 66.83 Years Dec 2026
U-6 Unemployment Rate 7.90 7.90 percent Jul 2026
Unemployed Persons 6916.00 7094.00 Thousand Jul 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.10 4.20 percent Jul 2026
Unit Labour Costs 1.30 1.30 percent Jun 2026
Wage Growth 4.25 3.99 percent Jun 2026
Wages 32.40 32.36 USD/Hour Jul 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 30.35 30.32 USD/Hour Jul 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 8.50 9.20 percent Jul 2026


United States Challenger Job Cuts
Challenger Job-Cut Report provides information on the number of announced corporate layoffs by industry and region.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
33429.00 45849.00 671129.00 14875.00 1994 - 2026 Persons Monthly
NSA

News Stream
US Firms Announce the Fewest Job Cuts in Two Years
US-based employers announced 33,429 job cuts in July 2026, the fewest in two years, down 27% from June and 46% compared with the same month last year. AI led all reasons for job cuts for a fifth straight month and was responsible for 10.97K during the month. The tech sector cut the most jobs (9.867K), followed by financial (3.157K), government (2.962K), and services (2.581K). Through July, employers have announced 477,033 job cuts, down 41% from the 806,383 cuts announced in the first seven months of 2025. Technology leads all industries with 149,023 cuts announced through July, followed by Transportation with 41,748, Health Care/Products with 34,426, Services with 23,942, and Government with 20,752. Meanwhile, employers announced plans to hire 16,095 workers in July, the highest July total since 2022. “Hiring has also increased over last year by 25%, so while AI is shifting the labor market, it is not dismantling it,” said Andy Challenger from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
2026-08-06
US Job Cuts Fall to 6-Month Low
US-based employers announced 45,849 job cuts in June 2026, the lowest since December 2025, down 53% from May and 4% lower than in the same month last year. The tech sector announced the most cuts (15,503), followed by services (4,296), food producers and manufacturers (3,955) and health care companies (2,761). "The pace of layoffs cooled considerably in June, similar to plans last June, and is typical for summer months. That said, the cuts we are seeing remain concentrated in technology, and AI continues to reshape how companies think about headcount", according to Andy Challenger from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Through June, employers announced 443,604 job cuts, down 40% from 744,308 cuts announced in the first six months of 2025, led by tech (139,156). Meanwhile, employers announced plans to hire 10,933 workers in June, pushing the year-to-date total to 91,405 workers, 10% more than in the first half of 2025.
2026-07-01
US Job Cuts Rise in May
US-based employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May 2026, the most since January, compared to 83,387 in April. It is the highest May total since 2020 and also marks the third straight month that cuts have risen. AI was the main reason for the cuts, leading for a third straight month. Technology announced 38,242 job cuts in May, the highest monthly total for the sector since August 2024. Transportation (6,909), services (6,288) and fintech (5,731) followed. “On top of the headline AI story, we’re seeing a sharp rise in cuts tied to acquisitions and mergers and a jump in bankruptcy-related losses, which tells me companies are restructuring aggressively as they reposition for an AI-driven economy,” said Andy Challenger from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. So far this year, employers have announced 397,755 cuts, down 43% from last year, when reductions to the federal workforce drove totals to historic highs. Stripping out that distortion, 2026 is running roughly even with 2024.
2026-06-04