As layoffs continue to accumulate across multiple industries, workers are experiencing heightened anxiety about the stability of the job market. Economists have noted that many businesses have reached a "no-hire, no fire" impasse, leading to limited new work opportunities and paused openings amidst widespread economic uncertainty.
Economic Context and Contributing Factors
Overall hiring has stagnated significantly, with the United States adding a meager 50,000 jobs last month, down from a revised figure of 56,000 in November. This slowdown occurs against a backdrop of rising operational costs that companies attribute to multiple factors including new tariff implementations, persistent inflation, and shifting consumer spending patterns. Recent surveys indicate consumer outlook on the economy has plummeted to its lowest level since 2014.
Simultaneously, numerous businesses are reducing their workforces as they redirect financial resources toward artificial intelligence investments, often as part of broader corporate restructuring initiatives. This technological shift represents a fundamental change in how companies allocate human and capital resources.
Major Corporate Layoffs Announced Recently
Amazon
The e-commerce giant Amazon slashed approximately 16,000 corporate roles recently, just three months after eliminating another 14,000 positions. The company cited restructuring aimed at "removing bureaucracy" from its operations, though these cuts coincide with increased spending on artificial intelligence development. CEO Andy Jassy has previously indicated he expects generative AI to reduce Amazon's corporate workforce over time.
UPS
United Parcel Service announced plans to cut up to 30,000 operational jobs this year, particularly as the package delivery company continues reducing the number of Amazon shipments it handles amid wider turnaround efforts. These reductions will occur through voluntary buyout offers for full-time drivers and natural attrition, adding to the 48,000 job cuts the company disclosed in 2025.
Tyson Foods
Late last year, Tyson Foods revealed it would close a plant employing 3,200 people in Lexington, Nebraska, affecting nearly one-third of the small town's population of 11,000. The layoffs began in January, though the company temporarily retained under 300 workers to assist with closure procedures. In November, Tyson also announced plans to eliminate one of two shifts at an Amarillo, Texas plant, cutting an additional 1,700 jobs.
HP
In November, HP indicated it expected to lay off between 4,000 and 6,000 employees as part of a wider initiative to streamline operations. The computer manufacturer plans to adopt artificial intelligence to increase productivity, with these actions scheduled for completion by the end of the 2028 fiscal year.
Verizon
Verizon began laying off more than 13,000 employees in November, with CEO Dan Schulman stating in a staff memo that the telecommunications giant needed to simplify operations and "reorient" the entire company.
Nestlé
In mid-October, Nestlé announced it would cut 16,000 jobs globally as part of wider cost-cutting measures aimed at reviving financial performance amid challenges including rising commodity costs and tariff implementations. The Swiss food giant indicated these layoffs would occur over the next two years.
Novo Nordisk
In September, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk revealed plans to cut 9,000 jobs, approximately 11% of its workforce. The maker of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy stated these layoffs were part of wider restructuring as it works to sell more obesity and diabetes medications amid increasing competition.
Intel
The struggling chipmaker has moved to shed thousands of jobs as it works to revive its business. CEO Lip-Bu Tan stated last year that Intel expected to end 2025 with 75,000 "core" workers, excluding subsidiaries, through layoffs and attrition, down from 99,500 core employees reported at the end of 2024. The company had previously announced a 15% workforce reduction.
Procter & Gamble
Last summer, Procter & Gamble announced it would cut up to 7,000 jobs over the next two years, representing 6% of the company's global workforce. The maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers stated these reductions were part of wider restructuring that also responds to tariff pressures.
Microsoft
The tech giant initiated two rounds of mass layoffs last year, first impacting 6,000 positions and then another 9,000. Microsoft cited "organizational changes" as the reason, though these cuts coincided with heavy spending on artificial intelligence development.
Additional Companies Implementing Job Cuts
Several other major corporations have recently announced workforce reductions:
- General Motors cut approximately 1,700 jobs across manufacturing sites in Michigan and Ohio last fall, in addition to hundreds of temporary layoffs for other employees.
- Skydance-owned Paramount initiated roughly 1,000 layoffs in October, later announcing plans to cut another 1,600 jobs as part of divestitures in Argentina and Chile.
- Target moved to eliminate about 1,800 corporate positions in October.
- ConocoPhillips announced plans to lay off up to a quarter of its workforce, representing between 2,600 and 3,250 workers, with most cuts occurring before the end of 2025.
- Lufthansa Group stated it will shed 4,000 jobs by 2030.
The cumulative effect of these widespread layoffs across diverse sectors has created a climate of uncertainty for workers, with economic pressures, technological shifts, and corporate restructuring combining to reshape the employment landscape significantly.
