# Who Cut Jobs When: A Register of Major U.S. Layoffs, 2025 to 2026 - URL: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026 - Topic: Economy · Tags: Economy, AI and work, Jobs, Layoffs - Updated: Sep 9, 2026 · 42 dated entries ## Summary The register begins in January 2025 with Meta’s plan to remove roughly 5% of staff as low performers, then tracks large cuts across technology, retail, media, transportation, energy and government. Challenger, Gray & Christmas counted 1.2 million announced U.S. job cuts in 2025, up 58% from 2024; government reductions accounted for more than 300,000, while employers such as UPS, Amazon, Microsoft and Verizon announced some of the largest company rounds. Through August 2026, announced cuts were running 41% below the prior-year pace as federal reductions subsided, but AI was cited in 116,175 cuts, or 22% of the total. The central question is how much AI is directly eliminating jobs: some employers explicitly said it reduced the need for workers, while others described reorganizations, management-layer reductions, cost pressure or investment needs and said AI was not the sole cause. ## Key moments - Jan 14, 2025: Meta: 5% of staff, about 3,600 people, cut as 'low performers' - Apr 29, 2025: UPS: 20,000 jobs and 73 buildings as it sheds Amazon volume - Jul 2, 2025: Microsoft: another 9,000, its third round of the year, including Xbox studios - Sep 2, 2025: Salesforce: 4,000 customer-support jobs cut, and the CEO says AI is why - Jan 1, 2026: The federal workforce shrank about 14% in 2025, mostly through deferred resignations - Jan 8, 2026: Challenger: 1.2 million announced job cuts in 2025, up 58% and the most since 2020 - Jan 28, 2026: Amazon: 16,000 more corporate roles, taking the total to 30,000 since October - Feb 26, 2026: Block: 40% of the company, about 4,000 people, and Dorsey says AI is the reason - Mar 31, 2026: Oracle: thousands of jobs cut by 6 a.m. email as AI data-centre spending squeezes cash - Apr 23, 2026: Meta: 10% of the workforce, about 8,000 people, effective May 20 - Sep 2, 2026: Uber: 3,300 jobs, 10% of staff, to strip out management layers - Sep 3, 2026: Challenger: 529,914 announced cuts through August 2026, 41% below 2025's pace; AI cited in 22% ## Job cuts announced in the entry | Date | Value | Entry | |---|---|---| | Jan 14, 2025 | 3600 jobs | Meta: 5% of staff, about 3,600 people, cut as 'low performers' | | Feb 17, 2025 | 1750 jobs | Southwest Airlines: 1,750 corporate jobs, its first layoffs in 53 years | | Feb 24, 2025 | 1100 jobs | Starbucks: 1,100 corporate jobs in Brian Niccol's first restructuring | | Apr 29, 2025 | 20000 jobs | UPS: 20,000 jobs and 73 buildings as it sheds Amazon volume | | May 13, 2025 | 6000 jobs | Microsoft: about 6,000 jobs, 3% of the company, aimed at management layers | | Jun 5, 2025 | 7000 jobs | Procter & Gamble: 7,000 non-manufacturing jobs over two years | | Jul 2, 2025 | 9000 jobs | Microsoft: another 9,000, its third round of the year, including Xbox studios | | Aug 26, 2025 | 1000 jobs | Kroger: nearly 1,000 corporate staff, its third round in eight months | | Sep 25, 2025 | 11000 jobs | Accenture: more than 11,000 people exited in a quarter, those who could not be reskilled for AI | | Sep 25, 2025 | 900 jobs | Starbucks: 900 more non-retail jobs and roughly 400 store closures in a $1 billion restructuring | | Oct 23, 2025 | 1800 jobs | Target: 1,800 corporate roles, its first major layoff in a decade | | Oct 28, 2025 | 14000 jobs | Amazon: 14,000 corporate roles, the first phase of its largest-ever cut | | Oct 29, 2025 | 1000 jobs | Paramount Skydance: about 1,000 jobs, the first of 2,000 promised after the merger | | Nov 20, 2025 | 13000 jobs | Verizon: more than 13,000 jobs, its largest single layoff | | Jan 28, 2026 | 16000 jobs | Amazon: 16,000 more corporate roles, taking the total to 30,000 since October | | Feb 4, 2026 | 300 jobs | Washington Post: a third of the staff, the sports desk and books section gone | | Apr 15, 2026 | 1000 jobs | Snap: 1,000 jobs, 16% of staff, with AI cited in the memo | | Apr 23, 2026 | 8000 jobs | Meta: 10% of the workforce, about 8,000 people, effective May 20 | | Apr 23, 2026 | 1400 jobs | Nike: about 1,400 roles, mostly in technology, after 775 in January | | May 12, 2026 | 1000 jobs | Walmart: about 1,000 technology and product roles cut or relocated | | Jul 6, 2026 | 4800 jobs | Microsoft: 4,800 jobs, 2.1% of staff, with Xbox losing a fifth of its people | | Jul 19, 2026 | 739 jobs | Samsung: 739 New Jersey roles hit as the U.S. consumer unit moves to Texas | | Jul 28, 2026 | 2600 jobs | Visa: about 2,600 jobs, 7% of the company, in technology and product | | Aug 21, 2026 | 200 jobs | Apple: more than 200 jobs across Vision Pro, Siri and software teams | | Aug 27, 2026 | 77 jobs | T-Mobile: more store closures and 77 Washington layoffs as it goes digital-first | | Sep 1, 2026 | 200 jobs | HCA Healthcare: more than 200 IT and support jobs in Nashville, with work moving to India | ## Challenger monthly announced U.S. job cuts | Date | Value | Entry | |---|---|---| | Feb 2025 | 172017 jobs | Challenger recorded 172,017 announced February job cuts | | Mar 2025 | 275240 jobs | Challenger recorded 275,240 announced March job cuts | | Oct 2025 | 153074 jobs | Challenger recorded 153,074 announced October job cuts | | Dec 2025 | 35553 jobs | Challenger: 1.2 million announced job cuts in 2025, up 58% and the most since 2020 | | Jan 2026 | 108435 jobs | Challenger recorded 108,435 announced January job cuts | | Aug 2026 | 52881 jobs | Challenger: 529,914 announced cuts through August 2026, 41% below 2025's pace; AI cited in 22% | ## Timeline (newest first) ### Sep 3, 2026 — Challenger: 529,914 announced cuts through August 2026, 41% below 2025's pace; AI cited in 22% August's 52,881 announced cuts were the lowest August since 2022, and the year-to-date total was 41 percent below 2025 largely because government cuts had subsided, with private-sector announcements down 15 percent. AI had been cited in 116,175 cuts in 2026, the leading reason for the year, though it fell to fourth in August after five months on top. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n473 (Report) - Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas · Sep 3, 2026 · https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-august-job-cuts-up-58-consumer-products-food-lead/ — "Through August, employers have announced 529,914 job cuts, down 41% from the 892,362 cuts announced in the first eight months of 2025." ### Sep 2, 2026 — Uber: 3,300 jobs, 10% of staff, to strip out management layers Dara Khosrowshahi told employees Uber had grown too complex; the company cut 20 percent of manager roles, halved the number of one- and two-person teams, removed anyone more than seven layers below the CEO, ended nearly all remote work and exited Nigeria and Uganda, its largest cut since the pandemic. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n472 (Announcement) - Source: TechCrunch · Sep 2, 2026 · https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/02/uber-is-laying-off-10-of-staff-or-3300-people/ — "According to the email, the layoffs are part of a restructuring exercise that would shrink the number of managers by 20%, and some personnel in these roles would work as individual contributors going forward." ### Sep 1, 2026 — HCA Healthcare: more than 200 IT and support jobs in Nashville, with work moving to India The hospital operator, with 190 hospitals and over 300,000 employees, cut more than 200 local information-technology and support jobs, not its first of 2026, after a July earnings call that put the cost of expired Affordable Care Act premium credits at about $400 million in the second quarter, and as it expanded offshoring to Hyderabad. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n471 (Announcement) - Source: Nashville Banner · Sep 2, 2026 · https://nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/02/hca-healthcare-layoffs-heat-advisory/ — "HCA Healthcare, Nashville’s largest publicly traded company, cut more than 200 jobs locally from its information technology staff and support systems on Tuesday." ### Aug 27, 2026 — T-Mobile: more store closures and 77 Washington layoffs as it goes digital-first Washington state WARN notices showed T-Mobile closing six stores and a corporate office and permanently cutting 77 jobs between September 21 and November 18, the latest in a rolling series of closures and headcount reductions as the carrier pushes customers to its T-Life app; Fast Company compiled the list of affected locations nationwide. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n470 (Announcement) - Source: The Spokesman-Review · Aug 27, 2026 · https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/aug/27/t-mobile-announces-layoffs-in-tacoma-and-other-wa-/ — "T-Mobile is set to shutter stores in Tacoma and multiple other cities across Western Washington this fall and will lay off a total of 77 employees, according to the Washington Employment Security Department." ### Aug 21, 2026 — Apple: more than 200 jobs across Vision Pro, Siri and software teams Apple cut about 100 roles in the Vision Products Group, largely closing a Vision Pro gaming team and shrinking immersive video, and around 100 more in Siri and software engineering, one of its few layoffs of the AI era, telling staff they could apply for other roles. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n503 (Announcement) - Source: 9to5Mac · Aug 21, 2026 · https://9to5mac.com/2026/08/21/apple-lays-off-200-people-across-vision-pro-and-siri-teams/ — "All told, the company has cut more than 200 jobs across teams working on Vision Pro, Siri, and software engineering." ### Jul 28, 2026 — Visa: about 2,600 jobs, 7% of the company, in technology and product CEO Ryan McInerney's memo said the cuts would fund reinvestment in consumer payments, commercial and money-movement products and value-added services including stablecoins, with AI streamlining routine work but not the sole reason; Mastercard had cut 4 percent and Block 40 percent earlier in the year. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n469 (Announcement) - Source: Quartz · Jul 28, 2026 · https://qz.com/visa-layoffs-workforce-cuts-072826 — "Visa $V is eliminating roughly 2,600 jobs, or about 7% of its total workforce, as Chief Executive Officer Ryan McInerney moves to make the payments company more competitive." ### Jul 21, 2026 — Disney: a third round of 2026 cuts across ESPN, Pixar and National Geographic, after 1,000 in April Under new CEO Josh D'Amaro, Disney notified hundreds more employees, with about 150 at Pixar and just under 100 in Disney Entertainment Television including ABC News, following a January marketing consolidation and an April reduction of roughly 1,000 across marketing, studios, networks, ESPN and corporate groups. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n502 (Announcement) - Source: HR Executive · Jul 21, 2026 · https://hrexecutive.com/disneys-restructuring-claims-more-layoffs-at-pixar-espn-and-national-geographic/ — "This is Disney’s third major round of layoffs this year under CEO Josh D’Amaro, following a January marketing consolidation and an April reduction of roughly 1,000 employees." ### Jul 19, 2026 — Samsung: 739 New Jersey roles hit as the U.S. consumer unit moves to Texas Samsung Electronics America told Reuters that 739 positions at its Englewood Cliffs headquarters were affected by the move to Plano, with some staff offered relocation, after an enterprise-wide reduction in force notified on June 30 that also let go about 100 in Texas. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n501 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC (Reuters) · Jul 19, 2026 · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/19/samsung-cuts-us-jobs-offers-relocations-ahead-of-hq-move-reuters.html — "The South Korean tech giant said on Sunday in a statement to Reuters that 739 roles in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, have been affected by plans by Samsung Electronics America (SEA) — which is focused on consumer electronics and does not include chips — to move its headquarters to Texas." ### Jul 6, 2026 — Microsoft: 4,800 jobs, 2.1% of staff, with Xbox losing a fifth of its people After a voluntary retirement programme Microsoft eliminated 4,800 jobs immediately, with Xbox cutting 3,200 in total, half at once and half through fiscal 2027, and spinning off four studios, as the stock trailed its megacap peers on AI spending. It was Microsoft's fourth large round in fourteen months. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n468 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Jul 6, 2026 · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/06/microsoft-cuts-2point1percent-of-employees-as-xbox-unit-plans-to-spin-studios.html — "Microsoft said Monday it is immediately eliminating 4,800 jobs, representing 2.1% of its workforce, in the software giant's latest effort to cut costs in the era of artificial intelligence." ### May 12, 2026 — Walmart: about 1,000 technology and product roles cut or relocated Walmart combined its global technology and product design groups with those of Sam's Club and international markets into one platform, eliminating or relocating about 1,000 corporate roles to Bentonville or Northern California, and told the Wall Street Journal the cuts were organisational simplification rather than AI replacing jobs. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n467 (Announcement) - Source: HR Executive · May 12, 2026 · https://hrexecutive.com/walmart-cuts-1000-corporate-roles-as-ai-reorganization-reshapes-tech-teams/ — "Walmart told WSJ the layoffs are not a direct result of AI replacing jobs, framing the move as organizational simplification." ### Apr 23, 2026 — Nike: about 1,400 roles, mostly in technology, after 775 in January COO Venkatesh Alagirisamy's note tied the cuts to the Win Now turnaround: reshaping the technology team, modernising Air manufacturing, moving some Converse operations and folding materials work into the footwear and apparel supply chain, following cuts of 775 in January 2026 and under 1 percent in August 2025. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n500 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Apr 23, 2026 · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/nike-job-cuts-layoffs.html — "Nike announced a new round of layoffs Thursday affecting approximately 1,400 employees across the organization, mostly concentrated in its technology department." ### Apr 23, 2026 — Meta: 10% of the workforce, about 8,000 people, effective May 20 Meta announced a companywide restructuring that would remove roughly 8,000 of 78,865 employees on May 20, after smaller cuts of 1,000 to 1,500 in Reality Labs in January and 700 in March, with thousands more redirected into new AI teams as capital spending on AI rose; reports of a 20 percent reduction were called speculative by the company. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n466 (Announcement) - Source: CNN Business · Apr 23, 2026 · https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/23/tech/meta-layoffs-10-percent-staff-ai — "Meta said on Thursday it plans to lay off roughly 10% of its workforce, or about 8,000 people, the latest in a string of tech industry layoffs fueled in part by artificial intelligence." ### Apr 15, 2026 — Snap: 1,000 jobs, 16% of staff, with AI cited in the memo Evan Spiegel's memo, filed with the SEC, said rapid advances in AI let small squads do more and that the cuts plus 300 closed openings would take more than $500 million off annual costs by the second half of 2026 on the way to net-income profitability. Snap had 5,261 employees at the end of 2025. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n465 (Announcement) - Source: TechCrunch · Apr 15, 2026 · https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/15/snap-is-cutting-1000-jobs-16-of-its-workforce/ — "Snap is laying off roughly 16% of its global workforce, impacting around 1,000 full-time employees, according to a memo sent to staff from Snap CEO Evan Spiegel on Wednesday." ### Mar 31, 2026 — Oracle: thousands of jobs cut by 6 a.m. email as AI data-centre spending squeezes cash Oracle began telling employees their roles were eliminated as part of a broader organisational change, with the cuts in the thousands, as its stock fell 25 percent in the year on capital commitments for AI infrastructure; TD Cowen had estimated that cutting 20,000 to 30,000 of its 162,000 staff would free $8 to $10 billion of cash flow. Its annual report later showed headcount down to about 141,000. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n464 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Mar 31, 2026 · https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/31/oracle-layoffs-ai-spending.html — "Oracle has started telling employees that it's cutting thousands of jobs, CNBC has confirmed, as the software maker deals with a plummeting stock price tied to hefty capital commitments for building out AI infrastructure." ### Feb 26, 2026 — Block: 40% of the company, about 4,000 people, and Dorsey says AI is the reason Jack Dorsey told shareholders that intelligence tools had changed what it means to run a company, that a significantly smaller team could do more, and that most companies would reach the same conclusion within a year; Block went from over 10,000 employees to under 6,000. It became the reference case in the debate over AI-attributed layoffs. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n463 (Announcement) - Source: The San Francisco Standard · Feb 26, 2026 · https://sfstandard.com/2026/02/26/block-lays-off-staff/ — "Block, the Oakland-based financial technology company, is cutting its workforce by 40%, from more than 10,000 workers to fewer than 6,000." ### Feb 4, 2026 — Washington Post: a third of the staff, the sports desk and books section gone At Jeff Bezos's direction the Post cut more than 300 people, about a third of its workforce, eliminating the sports department and books section, shrinking local and foreign coverage and suspending its daily podcast, the deepest cut in the paper's modern history. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n462 (Announcement) - Source: OPB · Feb 4, 2026 · https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/04/bezos-orders-layoffs-washington-post/ — "The Washington Post moved Wednesday at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos to cut a third of its entire workforce." ### Jan 29, 2026 — Mastercard: 4% of full-time staff, about 1,400 people, after a strategic review CFO Sachin Mehra said on the fourth-quarter call that Mastercard would cut about 4 percent of its global full-time workforce following a business review, taking a restructuring charge of nearly $200 million in the first quarter; Visa followed with a 7 percent cut in July. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n499 (Announcement) - Source: People Matters (Reuters) · Jan 29, 2026 · https://www.peoplematters.in/news/strategic-hr/mastercard-to-cut-4percent-of-workforce-after-strategic-review-cfo-says-48221 — "Mastercard will lay off about 4% of its global full-time workforce following a review of its business, the payments company’s chief financial officer said on Thursday." ### Jan 28, 2026 — Amazon: 16,000 more corporate roles, taking the total to 30,000 since October Galetti said teams that had not finished their reorganisations in October completed them now, cutting about 16,000 roles; with October's 14,000 the reduction reached about 10 percent of Amazon's corporate and tech staff, the largest in its history. She said the company was not trying to create a rhythm of layoffs every few months. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n461 (Announcement) - Source: Amazon · Jan 28, 2026 · https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-layoffs-corporate-jan-2026 — "The reductions we are making today will impact approximately 16,000 roles across Amazon, and we're again working hard to support everyone whose role is impacted." ### Jan 8, 2026 — Challenger: 1.2 million announced job cuts in 2025, up 58% and the most since 2020 Challenger, Gray & Christmas counted 1,206,374 announced U.S. job cuts in 2025, up 58 percent from 761,358 in 2024 and the highest since 2020, driven by a 703 percent jump in government cuts to more than 300,000 and by technology. December's 35,553 was the lowest month in 17 months. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n460 (Report) - Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas · Jan 8, 2026 · https://www.challengergray.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Challenger-Report-December-2025.pdf — "In 2025, employers announced 1,206,374 job cuts, an increase of 58% from the 761,358 announced in 2024." ### Jan 1, 2026 — The federal workforce shrank about 14% in 2025, mostly through deferred resignations Office of Personnel Management data showed a 13.7 percent drop in federal employment from September 2024, a net decrease of about 10.8 percent after hiring, with roughly 386,000 departures over the year; OPM director Scott Kupor said over 92 percent were voluntary, mainly through the deferred resignation program, with about 17,000 reductions in force. The Partnership for Public Service called it a forced exodus that left gaps in food inspection, Social Security processing and veterans' care. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n459 (Report) - Source: Federal News Network · Jan 1, 2026 · https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2026/01/how-staffing-cuts-in-2025-transformed-the-federal-workforce/ — "It’s a 13.7% decrease compared with September 2024 workforce numbers, Office of Personnel Management data shows." ### Jan 2026 — Challenger recorded 108,435 announced January job cuts Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 108,435 announced job cuts by U.S.-based employers in January 2026. The total was 118% above the 49,795 cuts announced in January 2025. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n486 (Report) - Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas · Feb 5, 2026 · https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-january-job-cuts-surge-lowest-january-hiring-on-record/ — "U.S.-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January, an increase of 118% from the 49,795 cuts announced in the same month last year." - Editor's note: The page states that U.S.-based employers announced 108,435 job cuts in January, 118% above the 49,795 announced in the same month the prior year. The report concerns January 2026, as indicated by its comparison to October and December 2025 and its 2026 outlook. ### Nov 25, 2025 — HP: 4,000 to 6,000 jobs by fiscal 2028, with AI named as the tool HP said product development, internal operations and customer support would shrink by 4,000 to 6,000 roles by fiscal 2028 under a plan to adopt AI across the company, targeting about $1 billion of annual savings, after 1,000 to 2,000 cuts in February under an earlier plan. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n498 (Announcement) - Source: CNN Business (Reuters) · Nov 25, 2025 · https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/25/tech/hp-layoffs-ai-efforts — "HP Inc said on Tuesday it expects to cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs globally by fiscal 2028 as part of a plan to streamline operations and adopt artificial intelligence to speed up product development, improve customer satisfaction and boost productivity." ### Nov 20, 2025 — Verizon: more than 13,000 jobs, its largest single layoff New CEO Dan Schulman told employees Verizon would cut more than 13,000 positions, mostly in the U.S., and sharply reduce outsourced labour, after nearly 20,000 cuts over the previous three years, with a $20 million transition fund framed around skills for the age of AI. Verizon said the cuts were not the result of its own AI use. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n458 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Nov 20, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/20/verizon-cutting-more-than-13000-jobs-as-it-restructures-.html — "U.S. wireless carrier Verizon said Thursday it will cut more than 13,000 jobs in its largest single layoff as it works to shrink costs and restructure operations." ### Oct 29, 2025 — Paramount Skydance: about 1,000 jobs, the first of 2,000 promised after the merger Months after David Ellison's Skydance closed its takeover, Paramount began cutting roughly 1,000 jobs, about 10 percent of its workforce over the full 2,000-role plan, toward more than $2 billion of promised cost synergies, on top of rounds before the deal closed. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n497 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Oct 29, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/29/paramount-to-lay-off-1000-employees-with-more-cuts-expected.html — "Paramount Skydance is slashing nearly 1,000 jobs beginning on Wednesday, just months after the close of its merger, according to a person close to the situation." ### Oct 28, 2025 — Amazon: 14,000 corporate roles, the first phase of its largest-ever cut Beth Galetti told employees the reductions continued Andy Jassy's push to run Amazon like the world's largest startup with fewer layers and more ownership, while investing in its biggest bets including generative AI. Reuters reported the plan could reach 30,000 of about 350,000 corporate employees; affected staff got 90 days to find another internal role. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n457 (Announcement) - Source: Amazon · Oct 28, 2025 · https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-workforce-reduction — "While this will include reducing in some areas and hiring in others, it will mean an overall reduction in our corporate workforce of approximately 14,000 roles." ### Oct 23, 2025 — Target: 1,800 corporate roles, its first major layoff in a decade Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke told headquarters staff that about 1,000 employees would be laid off and 800 open positions closed, roughly 8 percent of the corporate workforce, after four years of flat sales and a share price down 65 percent from its 2021 high. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n456 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Oct 23, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/23/target-layoffs-corporate-jobs-sales-slump.html — "Target said Thursday that it's cutting 1,800 roles across the company, or roughly 8% of its corporate workforce." ### Oct 2025 — Challenger recorded 153,074 announced October job cuts Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 153,074 announced job cuts by U.S.-based employers in October 2025. The total was 175% above the 55,597 cuts announced in October 2024. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n483 (Report) - Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas · Nov 6, 2025 · https://www.challengergray.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Challenger-Report-October-2025.pdf — "CHICAGO, November 6, 2025 – U.S.-based employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October, up 175% from the 55,597 cuts announced in October 2024." - Editor's note: The report states that U.S.-based employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October 2025, up 175% from 55,597 in October 2024. It is dated November 6, 2025 and identifies the reporting month as October 2025. ### Sep 25, 2025 — Starbucks: 900 more non-retail jobs and roughly 400 store closures in a $1 billion restructuring The second round under Niccol removed 900 non-retail roles and closed open positions, and the company said its North American company-operated store count would fall about 1 percent in fiscal 2025 as underperforming coffeehouses closed, with 90 percent of the $1 billion charge in North America. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n496 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Sep 25, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/25/starbucks-restructuring-store-closures-layoffs.html — "Starbucks announced a $1 billion restructuring plan Thursday that involves closing some of its North American coffeehouses and laying off more workers." ### Sep 25, 2025 — Accenture: more than 11,000 people exited in a quarter, those who could not be reskilled for AI CEO Julie Sweet said Accenture was exiting on a compressed timeline people for whom reskilling was not a viable path, having cut over 11,000 in the quarter to August 31 under an $865 million restructuring charge, while hiring for generative-AI work; the consulting firm framed AI capacity as the reason. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n495 (Announcement) - Source: Moneywise via Yahoo Finance · Sep 25, 2025 · https://finance.yahoo.com/news/company-just-laid-off-11-123000530.html — "The global IT and consulting giant announced more than 11,000 job cuts tied to an $865 million "reinvention" effort." ### Sep 2, 2025 — Salesforce: 4,000 customer-support jobs cut, and the CEO says AI is why Marc Benioff said on a podcast that Salesforce had reduced its support organisation from 9,000 to about 5,000 heads because its Agentforce bots now handle much of the work, one of the first explicit statements by a large employer that AI, not cost-cutting, drove a cut. He had earlier said AI was doing up to half the work at the company. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n455 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Sep 2, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/02/salesforce-ceo-confirms-4000-layoffs-because-i-need-less-heads-with-ai.html — ""I've reduced it from 9,000 heads to about 5,000, because I need less heads," Benioff said while discussing the impact of AI on Salesforce operations." ### Aug 26, 2025 — Kroger: nearly 1,000 corporate staff, its third round in eight months Kroger cut just under 1,000 corporate employees, many in its Technology and Digital division, as it simplified the business after the collapse of the Albertsons merger, saying it would reinvest the savings in lower prices and store hours; it had also announced 60 store closures. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n494 (Announcement) - Source: Grocery Dive · Aug 26, 2025 · https://www.grocerydive.com/news/kroger-cuts-hundreds-corporate-jobs/758694/ — "Kroger announced Tuesday layoffs of fewer than 1,000 corporate staffers, a company spokesperson confirmed via email." ### Jul 24, 2025 — Intel: 15% of the workforce gone, headcount to 75,000 by year-end In its second-quarter report new CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Intel had mostly completed a 15 percent workforce cut and would end 2025 with about 75,000 core employees, down from 108,900 across the group at the end of 2024, as it cancelled fabs in Germany and Poland and slowed Ohio. It was the largest cut by share of staff among big tech companies in 2025 and followed 15,000 cuts announced in August 2024. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n454 (Announcement) - Source: CNN Business · Jul 24, 2025 · https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/24/tech/intel-layoffs-15-percent-q2-earnings — "The company said it plans to end 2025 with 75,000 employees in its core Intel division — not including subsidiaries — as a result of “workforce reductions and attrition" ### Jul 2, 2025 — Microsoft: another 9,000, its third round of the year, including Xbox studios On the second day of its fiscal year Microsoft cut about 9,000 jobs, under 4 percent of the workforce, after 6,000 in May and 300 in June, hitting Xbox hardest with cancelled games and studio closures while the company committed about $80 billion to AI data centres for the year. Roughly 15,000 Microsoft jobs went in 2025. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n453 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Jul 2, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/02/microsoft-laying-off-about-9000-employees-in-latest-round-of-cuts.html — "Microsoft said Wednesday that it will lay off about 9,000 employees." ### Jun 5, 2025 — Procter & Gamble: 7,000 non-manufacturing jobs over two years CFO Andre Schulten told a Deutsche Bank conference that P&G would cut about 15 percent of its non-manufacturing workforce, roughly 6 percent of its 108,000 employees, over two years and exit some brands and markets as tariffs and cautious consumers squeezed growth. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n493 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Jun 5, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/05/procter-gamble-job-cuts-restructuring.html — "Procter & Gamble will cut 7,000 jobs, or roughly 15% of its nonmanufacturing workforce, as part of a two-year restructuring program." ### May 13, 2025 — Microsoft: about 6,000 jobs, 3% of the company, aimed at management layers Microsoft cut 3 percent of its 228,000 employees across levels and geographies, its largest round since the 10,000 cuts of 2023, including 1,985 in Washington state. The company said the cuts were not performance-related and were meant to flatten management, weeks after Satya Nadella said AI was writing up to 30 percent of code in some projects. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n452 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · May 13, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/microsoft-is-cutting-3percent-of-workers-across-the-software-company.html — "Microsoft on Tuesday said that it's laying off 3% of employees across all levels, teams and geographies, affecting about 6,000 people." ### Apr 29, 2025 — UPS: 20,000 jobs and 73 buildings as it sheds Amazon volume With its first-quarter results UPS said it would cut 20,000 jobs in 2025, about 4 percent of its global workforce, and close 73 buildings by June as it deliberately halved the Amazon business it called unprofitable; Amazon volume was already down 16 percent in the quarter. It followed a 14,000-position management cut in 2024 and came as tariffs weighed on shipments. The largest announced cut of the first half of 2025. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n451 (Announcement) - Source: CNN Business · Apr 29, 2025 · https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/business/ups-job-cuts — "UPS will cut 20,000 jobs this year, about 4% of its global workforce, the company said Tuesday." ### Mar 2025 — Challenger recorded 275,240 announced March job cuts Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 275,240 announced job cuts by U.S.-based employers in March 2025. The total was 60% above February's 172,017 announced cuts. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n476 (Report) - Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas · Apr 3, 2025 · https://www.challengergray.com/blog/federal-cuts-dominate-march-2025-total-275240-announced-job-cuts-216670-from-doge-actions/ — "U.S.-based employers announced 275,240 job cuts in March, a 60% increase from the 172,017 cuts announced one month prior." - Editor's note: The page states that U.S.-based employers announced 275,240 job cuts in March, 60% above the 172,017 announced one month earlier. It identifies the report as published April 3, 2025, while the reported job-cut event month is March 2025. ### Feb 24, 2025 — Starbucks: 1,100 corporate jobs in Brian Niccol's first restructuring The new CEO cut 1,100 of about 16,000 corporate support roles and closed several hundred open positions, sparing baristas, after global same-store sales fell 2 percent in fiscal 2024; a second round followed in September. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n492 (Announcement) - Source: PBS News (AP) · Feb 24, 2025 · https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/starbucks-lays-off-1100-corporate-employees-with-intent-to-operate-more-efficiently — "Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees" ### Feb 17, 2025 — Southwest Airlines: 1,750 corporate jobs, its first layoffs in 53 years CEO Bob Jordan called the cut of about 15 percent of corporate staff, including senior leaders and directors, unprecedented for an airline that had never had a major layoff, as activist Elliott Management pushed for cost savings; the cuts were completed by the end of June. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n491 (Announcement) - Source: CNBC · Feb 17, 2025 · https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/17/southwest-airlines-to-cut-15percent-of-corporate-jobs-in-cost-saving-push.html — "Southwest Airlines said Monday that it is cutting about 15% of corporate jobs, or about 1,750 people, a move its CEO called "unprecedented" as the company scrambles to cut costs." ### Feb 12, 2025 — Chevron: 15 to 20% of the global workforce, up to 9,000 people, by 2026 Chevron said it would cut 15 to 20 percent of its roughly 45,000 employees by the end of 2026 to take $2 to $3 billion out of structural costs after a weak 2024 and ahead of closing the Hess deal, the largest cut in the oil industry's post-pandemic consolidation. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n490 (Announcement) - Source: Offshore Technology · Feb 12, 2025 · https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/chevron-cut-15-20-workforce-2026/ — "Chevron has announced plans to significantly reduce its workforce, targeting a 15–20% reduction by next year as part of its cost-cutting strategy." ### Feb 2025 — Challenger recorded 172,017 announced February job cuts Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 172,017 announced job cuts by U.S.-based employers in February 2025. It described this as the highest February total since 2009. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n475 (Report) - Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas · Mar 6, 2025 · https://www.challengergray.com/blog/job-cuts-surge-on-doge-actions-retail-woes-highest-monthly-total-since-july-2020/ — "U.S.-based employers announced 172,017 job cuts in February, the highest total for the month since 2009 when 186,350 job cuts were recorded." - Editor's note: The page states that U.S.-based employers announced 172,017 job cuts in February and calls it the highest February total since 2009. The article is published March 6, 2025, and supports the February 2025 event date. ### Jan 14, 2025 — Meta: 5% of staff, about 3,600 people, cut as 'low performers' Mark Zuckerberg told managers Meta would raise the bar on performance and move out roughly 5 percent of employees, about 3,600 of 72,000, in a February cut, with the company's headcount expected to be down 10 percent by the end of the performance cycle including attrition. It set the tone for a year in which performance-based cuts at Microsoft and others followed. - Entry: https://whatledto.com/events/us-layoffs-register-2025-2026#n450 (Announcement) - Source: Fortune · Jan 14, 2025 · https://www.fortune.com/2025/01/14/meta-cut-5-percent-staff-lowest-performers-layoffs — "As of September, Meta employed about 72,000 people, so a 5% reduction could affect roughly 3,600 jobs." ## Where sources disagree or fall silent - The register mixes employer announcements, announced-cut estimates and later headcount outcomes; these measures do not always show how many U.S. employees ultimately left. - AI attribution varies substantially: Salesforce, Block and Snap explicitly tied reductions to AI, while Walmart and Verizon said AI was not the direct cause and other employers cited several overlapping reasons. - Oracle described its March 2026 cuts only as being in the thousands; the cited analyst estimate of 20,000 to 30,000 potential cuts was not a company-confirmed layoff total. - Chevron’s 15% to 20% reduction is a global target due by the end of 2026, so the final number and U.S. share remain unknown. - The 2025 federal employment decline was largely recorded as voluntary departures and deferred resignations, whereas Challenger’s announced-cut totals use a different methodology; the two figures should not be treated as the same measure. ## What to watch next - Sep 21, 2026: T-Mobile’s Washington layoffs begin under WARN notices — The announced closures and layoffs are scheduled to occur between September 21 and November 18, providing a near-term measure of the carrier’s digital-first restructuring. (https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2026/aug/27/t-mobile-announces-layoffs-in-tacoma-and-other-wa-/) - Dec 31, 2026: Chevron’s planned workforce-reduction target reaches its year-end deadline — Chevron said it would reduce 15% to 20% of its roughly 45,000-person global workforce by the end of 2026, so year-end disclosures may show the completed scale. (https://www.offshore-technology.com/news/chevron-cut-15-20-workforce-2026/) ## Who is involved - Challenger, Gray & Christmas (other): Outplacement firm whose monthly reports provide the register’s national announced-job-cut totals and AI-attribution figures. - Amazon (company): Cut 14,000 corporate roles in October 2025 and 16,000 more in January 2026, totaling about 30,000. - Microsoft (company): Carried out several large rounds from May 2025 through July 2026, with management layers and Xbox among the affected areas while it increased AI infrastructure spending. - Beth Galetti (person): Amazon’s senior vice president of People Experience and Technology, who announced both phases of the company’s corporate reductions. - Brian Niccol (person): Starbucks CEO who led the company’s 2025 corporate restructuring. - Mark Zuckerberg (person): Meta CEO who told managers the company would raise performance standards before the 2025 cuts. - Meta (company): Started the period with a performance-based 5% cut and later announced an 8,000-person restructuring tied to a broader AI investment push. - Starbucks (company): Cut 1,100 corporate roles in February 2025 and 900 more non-retail roles in September during a restructuring. - Xbox (product): Microsoft gaming unit that was heavily affected by the 2025 and 2026 reductions, studio closures and planned spinoffs. - Accenture (company): Exited more than 11,000 people in a quarter while saying it was moving faster with workers who could not be reskilled for AI work. - Andy Jassy (person): Pushed Amazon to run with fewer layers and more ownership. - Apple (company): Cut more than 200 roles across Vision Pro, Siri and software teams. - Block (company): Cut about 4,000 jobs, or 40% of staff, in an explicit AI-driven case cited in the register. - Bob Jordan (person): Southwest CEO who described the corporate reductions as unprecedented for the airline. - Chevron (company): Plans to cut 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026 to reduce structural costs. - Dan Schulman (person): Verizon CEO who announced the company’s largest single layoff and an AI-era skills transition fund. - Dara Khosrowshahi (person): Uber CEO who said the company had become too complex and outlined the management-layer reductions. - David Ellison (person): Skydance leader whose completed Paramount takeover was followed by the planned job reductions. - Disney (company): Carried out repeated 2026 reductions across its entertainment, news, sports and animation businesses. - Elliott Management (company): Activist investor that had pushed Southwest to reduce costs before its corporate layoffs. - Evan Spiegel (person): Snap CEO who said rapid AI advances enabled smaller teams to do more. - HCA Healthcare (company): Cut more than 200 Nashville IT and support jobs while expanding work in Hyderabad. - HP (company): Plans to cut 4,000 to 6,000 roles by fiscal 2028 while using AI to reshape product development, operations and customer support. - Intel (company): Reduced its workforce by about 15% in 2025 as it cancelled or slowed planned factory projects. - Jack Dorsey (person): Block executive who told shareholders that AI tools allowed a significantly smaller company to do more work. - Jeff Bezos (person): Washington Post owner who directed the newspaper’s February 2026 reductions, according to the cited report. - Josh D'Amaro (person): Disney CEO during the 2026 restructuring rounds. - Julie Sweet (person): Accenture CEO who described the company’s accelerated exits and parallel hiring for generative-AI work. - Kroger (company): Cut nearly 1,000 corporate roles, particularly in technology and digital, after its Albertsons merger collapsed. - Lip-Bu Tan (person): Intel CEO who said the company had mostly completed its workforce reduction by July 2025. - Marc Benioff (person): Salesforce CEO who explicitly said AI reduced the number of support workers the company needed. - Mastercard (company): Announced a cut of about 1,400 full-time roles, or 4% of staff, after a strategic review. - Michael Fiddelke (person): Told Target headquarters staff that about 1,000 employees would be laid off and 800 open positions closed. - Nike (company): Cut about 1,400 roles, largely in technology, as part of its Win Now turnaround. - Office of Personnel Management (regulator): Federal personnel agency whose data documented the 2025 decline in federal employment. - Oracle (company): Cut jobs in the thousands while its AI data-center commitments put pressure on cash flow. - Paramount Skydance (company): Began the first roughly 1,000 layoffs in a planned 2,000-role reduction after the Skydance takeover of Paramount. - Procter & Gamble (company): Plans to eliminate 7,000 non-manufacturing jobs over two years amid tariffs, cautious consumers and a portfolio review. - Ryan McInerney (person): Said Visa's cuts would fund reinvestment in payments, products, and services. - Salesforce (company): Cut about 4,000 customer-support jobs after saying its Agentforce AI bots were handling more support work. - Samsung Electronics America (company): Affected 739 New Jersey jobs as it moved its U.S. consumer headquarters to Texas. - Satya Nadella (person): Microsoft CEO who said AI was writing up to 30% of code in some projects before the May 2025 layoffs. - Scott Kupor (person): OPM director who said more than 92% of 2025 federal departures were voluntary, chiefly through deferred resignations. - Snap (company): Cut 1,000 jobs, or 16% of staff, with its CEO’s SEC-filed memo citing AI-enabled productivity. - Southwest Airlines (company): Announced 1,750 corporate layoffs, its first major layoffs in its 53-year history. - T-Mobile (company): Is closing stores and a Washington corporate office and scheduled 77 Washington layoffs as it shifts toward a digital-first model. - Target (company): Announced roughly 1,800 corporate-role reductions or closures after years of flat sales. - Uber (company): Cut 3,300 jobs, or 10% of staff, to reduce management layers and simplify its organization. - UPS (company): Announced 20,000 job cuts and 73 building closures while reducing what it called unprofitable Amazon volume. - Verizon (company): Announced more than 13,000 mostly U.S. job cuts but said its own AI use was not the reason for them. - Visa (company): Cut about 2,600 jobs, or 7% of staff, in technology and product while reinvesting in payments and related services. - Walmart (company): Cut or relocated about 1,000 technology and product roles during a reorganization it said was not AI replacing jobs. - Washington Post (company): Cut more than 300 people, about a third of staff, and eliminated its sports desk and books section. ## Changelog - Sep 7, 2026: Chart data refreshed: 32 point(s) across 2 metric(s). - Sep 7, 2026: Chart data refreshed: 35 point(s) across 2 metric(s). - Sep 7, 2026: Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed. - Sep 6, 2026: Summary, key players and catalysts refreshed. - Sep 6, 2026: Added 4 node(s): 2025-02 Challenger recorded 172,017 announced February job cuts; 2025-03 Challenger recorded 275,240 announced March job cuts; 2025-10 Challenger recorded 153,074 announced October job cuts; 2026-01 Challenger recorded 108,435 announced January job cuts. - Sep 6, 2026: Seeded 14 hand-verified node(s) from us-layoffs-register-2025-2026.yaml. - Sep 6, 2026: Research run found 16 candidate node(s). - Sep 6, 2026: Seeded 24 hand-verified node(s) from us-layoffs-register-2025-2026.yaml. ## Copyright and reuse Text and structure © What Led To. 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