Third quarter layoff plans totaled 129,591, down 43% from the 226,242 layoff plans in Q2 2026, and down 36% from the 202,118 layoff plans announced in the same quarter of last year.
That’s the latest jobs look courtesy of Chicago-based Challenger Gray & Christmas.
U.S.-based employers announced 43,281 job cuts in September, down 18% from the 52,881 announced in August. It is down 20% from the 54,064 layoff plans announced in the same month last year and is the lowest total for the month since 2022, when 29,989 job cuts were recorded.
Through September, employers have announced 573,195 job cuts, down 39% from the 946,426 cuts announced in the first nine months of 2025. Excluding the Government sector, job cut announcements are down 15% (550,185 versus 646,671 through September 2025). It is the seventh time this year cuts are lower than the corresponding month one year earlier, and the lowest January-to-September total since 2022, when 209,495 layoff plans were announced.
The Media industry announced 266 cuts in September and has announced 5,174 so far in 2026, down 63% from the 14,060 cuts announced during the same period last year.
News, which Challenger tracks as a subset of Media and includes broadcast, digital, and print, announced 174 cuts in September. It is down 9% from the 191 recorded in September 2025. Year-to-date News cuts total 1,901, up 9% from the 1,738 announced in the first nine months of 2025.
