Planned job cuts announced by U.S. employers surged by 245% in February to 172,017, the highest level seen since the COVID-19 downturn in July 2020 and the steepest February total in 16 years, according to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Government layoffs accounted for a significant portion of the job cuts, with 62,242 positions announced across 17 federal agencies. In total, about 62,530 federal employees were laid off during the first two months of the year—a dramatic increase compared to the same period in 2024. Andrew Challenger, senior vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, warned that mass layoffs often leave remaining staff feeling uneasy and could lead to additional voluntary departures.
A key factor behind the surge in layoffs has been the aggressive cost-cutting drive led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative reportedly championed by tech billionaire Elon Musk and supported by the Trump administration. The DOGE effort has resulted in deep spending cuts, funding freezes, and the dismissal of thousands of federal workers, including specialists such as scientists and game rangers. The initiative has also affected federal contractors, as companies facing tariffs and other trade disruptions have extended their workforce reductions.
Challenger attributed 63,583 of the layoffs directly to the "DOGE impact," with an additional 894 job cuts linked to downstream effects such as reduced funding for private non-profits. The majority of the federal layoffs have been concentrated in Washington, D.C.—a region that has lost 61,795 jobs so far this year, compared with only 60 in 2024.
Outside of the public sector, job cuts were also reported in retail, technology, services, and consumer products industries. Although these federal workforce reductions will not immediately be reflected in February's employment report, scheduled for release on Friday, the ongoing hiring and funding freezes could influence government and contractor employment in the coming months. A Reuters survey of economists estimated that nonfarm payrolls increased by 160,000 jobs after a January rise of 143,000, with the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.0%.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, met on 14 October to discuss bilateral ties and key regional and inte...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment