US Hits Highest Layoffs Since COVID

[Say it aint so]

US layoffs surged in July to their highest level since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.​

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In July, there were 62,075 job cuts announced, according to a report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That's a 29 percent jump from June and 140 percent higher than the 25,885 announced in July 2024.​

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The July figure is well above the post-pandemic average for the month (23,584 between 2021 and 2024) and slightly higher than the past decade's July average of 60,398. It pushes the 2025 total to 806,383 layoffs—a 75 percent increase compared with the same period last year and already 6 percent higher than all of 2024. It's the highest January-to-July figure since 2020, when pandemic shutdowns drove layoffs above 1.8 million. --Newsweek ​

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List of Companies Laying Off Employees in August​

Thousands of employees across various industries are expected to be laid off in August.​

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Companies are required to send out a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice before implementing mass layoffs. A total of 114 companies are anticipated to cut workers, according to WARNTracker.com.​

Keep in mind, that's just the month of August. In 2016 Obama handed Trump a robust economy, he claimed it as his own even though job growth compared to him and Obama declined under Trump. Last term Trump had some people providing guard rails. This go around he has surrounded himself with Kim Jong Un adulating loyalists, and it's unraveling rather early.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Here is the part of the link not quoted:

The surge in layoffs in 2025 is due to a mix of government downsizing, corporate restructuring and the growing effects of artificial intelligence. Public agencies, tech firms and retailers are leading the cuts.​

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"We are seeing the federal budget cuts implemented by DOGE impact nonprofits and health care in addition to the government. AI was cited for over 10,000 cuts last month, and tariff concerns have impacted nearly 6,000 jobs this year," said Andrew Challenger, a senior vice president and labor expert at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.​

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Federal Job cuts are over 290,000 so far this year. Smaller Government. Another Promise kept.

 

[Say it aint so]

Here is the part of the link not quoted:

The surge in layoffs in 2025 is due to a mix of government downsizing, corporate restructuring and the growing effects of artificial intelligence. Public agencies, tech firms and retailers are leading the cuts.​

​

"We are seeing the federal budget cuts implemented by DOGE impact nonprofits and health care in addition to the government. AI was cited for over 10,000 cuts last month, and tariff concerns have impacted nearly 6,000 jobs this year," said Andrew Challenger, a senior vice president and labor expert at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.​

​

Federal Job cuts are over 290,000 so far this year. Smaller Government. Another Promise kept.

Yes, they are now unemployed. It's a smaller less effective government. So yes, the people who are bad at governing, governing badly. Another realization kept.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Smaller Government.

Are ICE and increased federal presence in our cities and new detention centers going up around the country part of this “smaller government”?

 

[Say it aint so]

The man is living in an alternative universe.

 

[mark46]

Layoffs are perfectly normal. The company gets rid of the bottom and then hires new workers in a couple of months for more money.

The open questions are job growth, job opportunities, unemployment and participation levels.

There are many more open jobs than workers willing to take them. That situation will continue to increase as ICE hires more workers.

We do need more on-the-job training programs and 2-year vocational programs. We also need to figure out how to reduce the number of potential workers who can't be hired for factory work because they can't pass a drug test.

As an aside, I do NOT think that the federal government should have a major role other than getting out of the way, and having a tax code that favors small business job creation.

 

[mark46]

Are ICE and increased federal presence in our cities and new detention centers going up around the country part of this “smaller government”?

Increased ICE activity COULD be part of smarter government if they were ordered to focus on the stated goals that the vast majority voted for. Yes, we need more ICE agents, more detention centers, and many more immigration judges (in addition to the already achieved closed border).

And I am OK with workplace sweeps if there is due process. Many innocent folks will be detained. They need to be processed within the "normal" 72 hours and allowed to return to their lives. Those we have decided to deport (recent arrivals, those with violent criminal histories and those with open deportation orders should be processed and deported as soon as possible.

These goals should be possible with many more agents and judges (likely JAG transfers}.
==========
IMO, the primary issue is that ICE are not following the law and don't have reasonable goals. Obviously, there should be better conditions at detention centers. That COULD happen after many more are built, AND our House members and Senators are allowed to regularly visit sites in their district.

I'm 100% fine with 4 million folks or more being detained in the next 12 months. Just follow the laws and the court orders!
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[DaisyDay]

Layoffs are perfectly normal. The company gets rid of the bottom and then hires new workers in a couple of months for more money.

The company get rid of its senior employees and hires new cheaper ones.

The open questions are job growth, job opportunities, unemployment and participation levels.

There are many more open jobs than workers willing to take them. That situation will continue to increase as ICE hires more workers.

We do need more on-the-job training programs and 2-year vocational programs.

We do need that and perhaps the return of Job Corps.

We also need to figure out how to reduce the number of potential workers who can't be hired for factory work because they can't pass a drug test.

Is this a major problem for factory owners.

As an aside, I do NOT think that the federal government should have a major role other than getting out of the way, and having a tax code that favors small business job creation.

Here we disagree - the government has a major role regulation, infrastructure and the welfare of the people.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Yes, they are now unemployed. It's a smaller less effective government. So yes, the people who are bad a governing, governing badly. Another realization kept.

It is smaller - but not as less effective.

Are ICE and increased federal presence in our cities and new detention centers going up around the country part of this “smaller government”?

Yep - because the facilities are temporary until we get the 12 million illegals Joe let in. Going to take some time ya know.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Yep - because the facilities are temporary until we get the 12 million illegals Joe let in. Going to take some time ya know.

Then temporarily, this is an expansion of the federal government. It’s now much bigger and more expensive than it was before.

The camps in Poland were also meant to be temporary.

 

[mark46]

Here we disagree - the government has a major role regulation, infrastructure and the welfare of the people.

We disagree less than you think. I often overstate a bit.

REGULATION
Regulated capitalism is by far the best system ever developed. So, yes, I support OSHA, EPA, FDA and regulations regarding energy plants. However, since Nixon implemented EPA, there have been many excesses. Also, the inefficiencies required in building anything (especially energy plants) is truly outrageous.

INFRASTRUCTURE
Much infrastructure needs to be coordinated or even directed by the federal government. Eisenhower's highway system is a good example. However, much of the decision-making needs to be local, and the processes need considerable streamlining. Other infrastructure like airports and bridges take a decade to build. We can do much, much better. The Defense Department and airports still use floppy disks. Seriously, federal infrastructure needs to move into this century. Curiously, Trump had the right man who was capable of leading the effort but instead assigned him do very damaging projects. As aside, we have a huge need for tech workers. Better immigration policies can help a lot including green cards at graduation to all college graduates in STEM disciplines.

WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE
This is the #1 responsibility of government. This includes defending our borders, protecting our streets and most importantly having a much better safety net for the poor.

 

[Always in His Presence]

Then temporarily, this is an expansion of the federal government. It’s now much bigger and more expensive than it was before.

The need is greater when you begin to enforce the law and there are 12,000,000 people who broke federal law.

The camps in Poland were also meant to be temporary.

Godwins Law - he come the Nazi references - as a debating technique it is lifeless and vapid.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

The need is greater when you begin to enforce the law and there are 12,000,000 people who broke federal law.

Right. A bigger government with wider scope and more control over the public is needed.

Godwins Law - he come the Nazi references - as a debating technique it is lifeless and vapid.

It’s not my fault the guy you voted for is mirroring history.

 

[mark46]

It is smaller - but not as less effective.

Yep - because the facilities are temporary until we get the 12 million illegals Joe let in. Going to take some time ya know.

Detention camps and a large masked police force at the control of the president has never been permanent, although that is certainly a possibility.

I would add that this in addition to the National Guard which is also at the direct beck and call of the president.
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TO BE CLEAR
Trump has been the worst, but certainly not the first to want to greatly increase the power of the presidency at the expense of Congress and the courts. Wilson and FDR come to mind.

 

[iluvatar5150]

The company gets rid of the bottom

lol, if only things were that simple and deterministic.

The last several layoffs I've witnessed either first or second-hand (and there have been several recently) have largely had nothing to do with personal performance. In most of them, the department directors weren't even made aware of who was getting axed.

 

[mark46]

lol, if only things were that simple and deterministic.

The last several layoffs I've witnessed either first or second-hand (and there have been several recently) have largely had nothing to do with personal performance. In most of them, the department directors weren't even made aware of who was getting axed.

You are correct.

TWO SCENARIOS
1) In the normal ebb and flow, there are layoffs from time to time, an opportunity for folks to dump those they don't like. They can hire new ones after awhile at more or less money but have have new employees that they like better. They also take this opportunity to hire employees at skills that they especially need, often at higher prices that current employees.

In this scenario, the only way someone gets significant raises is to quit and go elsewhere.

2) The other situation is when the bosses announce a major layoff and have folks bid for their jobs, with those hiring having a serious opportunity to cut costs. In this situation, there is often retirement bonuses (forced retirements). Higher oriced workers with say 0-15 years of service really end up getting screwed. Whole departments are cut. There is restructuring and the new cost of the all the new employees is less than those who they relaced.
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Yes, there are union shops and yes there are good places to work (e.g. Nvidia), but in the end, many employers are very cuthroat in there approach to labor costs.

 

[hedrick]

There's probably no one cause. Clearly Trump's policies are going to make companies wary of hiring, but AI is having the same effect. It's not that it's currently taking jobs, but there are reports tthat it's making companies worried about hiring.

I generally recommend waiting for at least a year to see the consequences of a new president. E.g. companies are holding up on price increases, but likely by the end the year we'll see if they're going to happen. This advice may be less useful than usual for hiring if AI is having an effect. That effect may well go beyond a year.

Of course with the BLS under political control it's going to be harder than usual to understand results.

 

[Say it aint so]

It is smaller - but not as less effective.

Tell that to the rural folks who are watching their only hospitals being shut down. I can't help think of the irony of Trump complaining about BLS numbers (only when bad for him, never when they are good) but yet the steps he has taken makes collecting accurate data worse. Aka, making a government service worse.

 

[NxNW]

the facilities are temporary until we get the 12 million illegals Joe let in. Going to take some time ya know.

How did they get over Trump's wall?

 

[Always in His Presence]

How did they get over Trump's wall?

The one Biden stopped installing and started selling off for Pennie’s on the dollar?