November Layoffs Hit 71,321 in 2025 as Hiring Drops to 15-Year Low

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U.S. companies cut 71,321 jobs in November 2025, up 24% from 57,727 cuts in November 2024. It's the highest November total since 2022, according to data released Thursday by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Through November, companies have announced 1,170,821 job cuts in 2025. That's 54% more than the 761,358 cuts announced during the same period last year. It's the worst year for layoffs since 2020 when the pandemic hit.

AI Has Eliminated 54,694 Jobs This Year

Companies blamed AI for 6,280 job cuts in November. For 2025, AI has been cited as the reason for 54,694 layoffs.

Another 20,219 cuts were blamed on "technological updates" that likely include AI. Combined, that's over 75,000 AI-related job losses this year.

"Tech firms are undergoing incredible disruption with AI that is not only costing jobs, but also making it difficult to land positions, particularly for entry-level engineers," said Andy Challenger, workplace expert at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Since the firm started tracking AI as a job cut reason in 2023, the technology has been responsible for 71,683 layoffs.

Tech Still Leading Job Cuts

Technology companies cut 12,377 workers in November. For 2025, tech has announced 153,536 job cuts, up 17% from 130,701 in 2024.

Telecommunications led November with 15,139 cuts, mainly from Verizon. Year-to-date, telecom companies have cut 38,035 jobs, up 268% from 10,331 last year.

Food companies cut 6,708 jobs in November, bringing their 2025 total to 34,165, up 26% from 27,060 in 2024.

Retail announced 3,290 November cuts. For the year, retail has cut 91,954 jobs, up 139% from 38,403 in 2024.

Why Companies Are Cutting

Here's what companies say is driving layoffs in 2025:

• DOGE Actions: 293,753 cuts
• Market/Economic Conditions: 245,086 cuts
• Store Closings: 178,531 cuts
• Restructuring: 128,255 cuts
• Cost-Cutting: 80,417 cuts
• Artificial Intelligence: 54,694 cuts
• Bankruptcy: 38,813 cuts
• DOGE Downstream Impact: 20,976 cuts
• Tariffs: 7,908 cuts

Hiring Has Collapsed

Companies announced only 497,151 planned hires through November, down 35% from 761,954 in 2024. This is the lowest hiring total since 2010.

Seasonal hiring shows how bad things are. Retailers announced only 372,520 seasonal positions through November. That's the lowest number since 2012 when tracking began.

Last year, retailers planned 660,150 seasonal hires. This year's 372,520 is a 44% drop.

"The increased spending over the Black Friday and the Thanksgiving weekend may give rise to hires in December right before the holiday. It's unclear, however, if those positions will last into the New Year," Challenger said.

Where the Cuts Are Happening

District of Columbia: 303,778 cuts (federal workforce reductions)

California: 173,022 cuts

New York: 101,457 cuts

Georgia: 79,345 cuts

Washington: 78,569 cuts

What This Means

Companies are cutting jobs while refusing to hire. Workers who lose their jobs face a market with almost no new positions opening up.

AI is now a top-five reason for job cuts. It's not slowing down.

The combination of high layoffs and low hiring hasn't happened since 2020. For the 1,170,821 workers who lost jobs this year, and the thousands more who will in December, this is the worst job market in five years.