US-based employers announced 60,620 job cuts in March 2026, above 48,307 in February but well below 275,240 a year earlier. The technology sector recorded by far the highest number of job cuts in March (18,720), followed by pharmaceuticals (5,356), education (5,258), and financial (5,114). Artificial Intelligence (AI) led all reasons for job cuts, with 15,341 announced during the month, 25% of total cuts. Considering Q1, employers announced 217,362 job cuts, the lowest Q1 total since 2022, and down 16% from Q4 2025. “Removing the wave of federal layoffs announced in February and March of last year, job cut announcements in 2026 are closely following the pattern of 2025. Last year it was Government, Retail, and Technology. This year, it’s Technology, Transportation, and Healthcare,” said Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas. source: Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc.

Challenger Job Cuts in the United States increased to 60620 Persons in March from 48307 Persons in February of 2026. Challenger Job Cuts in the United States averaged 67086.28 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 April of 2026.

Challenger Job Cuts in the United States increased to 60620 Persons in March from 48307 Persons in February of 2026. Challenger Job Cuts in the United States is expected to be 85000.00 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 62000.00 Persons in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-03-05 12:30 PM
Challenger Job Cuts
Feb 48.307K 108.435K 95.0K
2026-04-02 11:30 AM
Challenger Job Cuts
Mar 60.62K 48.307K 90K
2026-05-07 11:30 AM
Challenger Job Cuts
Apr 60.62K


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
ADP Employment Change 62.00 66.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Average Hourly Earnings MoM 0.20 0.40 percent Mar 2026
Average Hourly Earnings YoY 3.50 3.80 percent Mar 2026
Average Weekly Hours 34.20 34.30 Hours Mar 2026
Challenger Job Cuts 60620.00 48307.00 Persons Mar 2026
Continuing Jobless Claims 1841.00 1816.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Employed Persons 162848.00 162912.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Employment Cost Index 0.70 0.80 percent Dec 2025
Employment Cost - Benefits 0.70 0.80 percent Dec 2025
Employment Cost - Wages 0.70 0.80 percent Dec 2025
Employment Rate 59.20 59.30 percent Mar 2026
Full Time Employment 134676.00 134341.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Government Payrolls -8.00 -4.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Challenger Hiring Plans 32826.00 12755.00 Persons Mar 2026
Initial Jobless Claims 202.00 211.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Job Layoffs and Discharges 1721.00 1660.00 Thousand Feb 2026
JOLTs Job Openings 6882.00 7240.00 Thousand Feb 2026
JOLTs Job Quits 2974.00 3137.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Job Quits Rate 1.90 2.00 Percent Feb 2026
Job Openings 6649.00 7377.00 Thousand Feb 2026
Jobless Claims 4-week Average 207.75 210.75 Thousand Mar 2026
Participation Rate 61.90 62.00 percent Mar 2026
Labour Costs 122.55 121.72 points Dec 2025
Long Term Unemployment Rate 1.07 1.11 percent Mar 2026
Manufacturing Payrolls 15.00 -6.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Minimum Wages 7.25 7.25 USD/Hour Dec 2025
Non Farm Payrolls 178.00 -133.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Nonfarm Payrolls Private 186.00 -129.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Nonfarm Productivity 1.80 5.20 percent Dec 2025
Part Time Employment 28290.00 28478.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Population 342.28 340.97 Million Dec 2025
Productivity 119.64 118.81 points Dec 2025
Retirement Age Men 67.00 66.83 Years Dec 2026
Retirement Age Women 67.00 66.83 Years Dec 2026
U-6 Unemployment Rate 8.00 7.90 percent Mar 2026
Unemployed Persons 7239.00 7571.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.30 4.40 percent Mar 2026
Unit Labour Costs 4.40 1.00 percent Dec 2025
Wage Growth 4.60 4.38 percent Jan 2026
Wages 32.07 32.02 USD/Hour Mar 2026
Wages in Manufacturing 29.95 29.82 USD/Hour Mar 2026
Youth Unemployment Rate 8.50 9.50 percent Mar 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
60620.00 48307.00 671129.00 14875.00 1994 - 2026 Persons Monthly
NSA

News Stream
US Companies Cut 60.6K Jobs in March
US-based employers announced 60,620 job cuts in March 2026, above 48,307 in February but well below 275,240 a year earlier. The technology sector recorded by far the highest number of job cuts in March (18,720), followed by pharmaceuticals (5,356), education (5,258), and financial (5,114). Artificial Intelligence (AI) led all reasons for job cuts, with 15,341 announced during the month, 25% of total cuts. Considering Q1, employers announced 217,362 job cuts, the lowest Q1 total since 2022, and down 16% from Q4 2025. “Removing the wave of federal layoffs announced in February and March of last year, job cut announcements in 2026 are closely following the pattern of 2025. Last year it was Government, Retail, and Technology. This year, it’s Technology, Transportation, and Healthcare,” said Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
2026-04-02
Job Cuts in the US Fall Sharply in February
US-based employers announced 48,307 job cuts in February 2026, less than 108,435 in January and well below 172,017 a year earlier. Tech announced the most cuts (11,039), as "tech is responding to a number of pressures right now. AI is the big story, but there are also global regulatory concerns, a slowdown in digital advertising driven by tariffs and economic uncertainty, and higher costs to both employ workers and access funding” said said Andy Challenger, Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Education followed with 5,417 job cuts and industrial manufacturing announced 4,109 cuts. “With US involvement in a growing war in Iran, the end of Q1 may bring more layoff plans as companies tighten belts amid uncertainty and higher costs,” Andy Challenger added. Through February, employers announced 156,742 job cuts, the lowest January-to-February total since 2022. The tech sector led job cuts so far this year (33.330), followed by transportation (31,702) and health care/products (19,228).
2026-03-05
US January Job Cuts Highest Since 2009
US-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January 2026, the highest level since October and the largest January total since 2009, compared to 33,553 cuts announced in December. “Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in Q1, but this is a high total for January. It means most of these plans were set at the end of 2025, signaling employers are less-than-optimistic about the outlook for 2026,” said Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Transportation announced the highest number (31,243), primarily due to UPS. The company announced it would cut 30K jobs after severing ties with Amazon. Technology announced 22,291 job cuts, with the bulk coming from Amazon (16K) as it restructures its layers of management. Healthcare companies and health products manufacturers announced 17,107 cuts, the most for the industry since April 2020. Meanwhile, employers announced 5,306 hiring plans, the lowest total for the month since records began in 2009.
2026-02-05