US Layoffs Up 53 Percent in September From Previous Year

Year-to-date layoffs are at their highest level since 2020, according to new Challenger data.

Los Angeles Times Guild members hold up signs during a rally outside City Hall against significant imminent layoffs at the Los Angeles Times newspaper during a one-day walkout in Los Angeles on Jan. 19, 2024. Mario Tama/Getty Images

New data show that while employers handed out fewer pink slips in September than in August—when the number was at a five-month high—layoffs were up significantly compared to a year ago.

According to recruitment firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, U.S.-based employers announced nearly 73,000 job cuts in September. While this was down by 4 percent from the previous month’s 75,891, the layoffs were up by 53 percent from last year.