U.S. January Layoffs Reach 2009 High; Recruiting Intentions Drop to 2009 Low

January 2026 saw U.S. companies announce 108,435 layoffs, the highest since 2009 and up 118% from January 2025, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas.同期, hiring intentions fell to 5,306, a 13% year decline and the lowest since 2009, signaling a shift to "fewer hires, more cuts." Over half of the cuts were concentrated in a few large firms. Amazon (AMZN-US) plans to裁撤约16,000 workers; UPS (UPS-US) over 30,000; Dow Chemical (DOW-US) about 4,500; and Nike (NKE-US) and PTO (PTON-US) also announced reductions. Primary drivers cited were contract attrition, macroeconomic uncertainty, and restructuring. While the Labor Department’s initial jobless claims remained near two-year lows at 209,000, over 100 companies filed WARN notices for large-scale layoffs, indicating growing labor adjustment pressure. Federal Reserve officials note some stability in the unemployment rate, but these developments introduce uncertainty into the labor market outlook.