Jan 2026 Layoffs Reach 108K, Highest Since 2009 (CHG: 118% Y/Y)

January 2026 saw 108,435 layoffs, the highest since 2009, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This marks an 118% increase from January 2025 and more than doubles December 2025 figures. New hire intentions reached 5,306, the lowest since tracking began in 2009. Nearly half the cuts—31,243 at UPS and 16,000 at Amazon—follow the winding down of the UPS contract with Amazon. Hospitals and healthcare companies announced 17,107 cuts, the most since April 2020, amid inflation, labor costs, and lower reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare. The delay in the BLS nonfarm payrolls report, originally scheduled for February 5, 2026, to February 12, 2026, adds uncertainty to the labor market outlook.