U.S.-based employers announced 83,387 job cuts in April, up 38% from March but
down 21% from a year earlier, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The
month marked the third-highest April total since 2009. Year-to-date layoffs
reached 300,749, down 50% from the same period in 2025. Technology firms led
cuts, often citing AI investment and innovation. AI was the top reason in April,
driving 21,490 layoffs, or 26% of the total. Closings, cost-cutting, and
restructuring also contributed significantly, while broader market and economic
conditions remained the leading year-to-date driver of job reductions.
