Posts by Anthony DeCesaro
Labor picture remains mixed, as layoffs increase despite more jobs being added
By Feb 20, 2026
Despite better-than-expected GDP numbers to close out the year, recent job reports point
to a spike in layoffs, with numbers trending their highest for January since the Great
Recession of 2009. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas reported that U.S.
employers announced 108,435 layoffs for the month of January, an increase of 118% from
one year ago, and a 205% jump from December 2025.
At the same time, companies have announced just 5,306 new hires, also the lowest for
January since 2009.
“Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high …