A trend that started in the technology sector is spreading to other industries, with businesses cutting workers even as their profits expand.

The report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a private firm that tracks workplace hirings and firings across the country, found that there were 153,074 layoffs reported last month alone, a 183 percent increase from September. October 2025 also saw the highest number of layoffs for that month in particular over the past 22 years.

Despite fears that Amazon and other employers are already replacing workers with bots, the A.I. transition is likely to play out differently.

If AI proves inefficient, will companies need to rehire the talent they let go? Amid a flurry of tech industry layoffs, Amazon’s recent culling of some 14,000 staff stands out for one dramatic reason: It was blamed,

Layoffs in the U.S skyrocketed in October to their worst monthly level for 22 years, with Americans now facing the type of job cuts typically seen during recessions. Despite President Donald Trump repeatedly touting that the US economy “has never been hotter,

Square Enix, the Japanese video game giant, is laying off an unknown number of employees in its North America and European publishing operations as it looks to streamline the business.

The numbers we do have point overall to a continuously slowing job market. Economic uncertainty is weighing on employers' willingness to hire, Zhao says, meaning job-seekers are frozen out of the market and employed workers have less leverage to progress in their careers, win raises and stay engaged in the workplace.

The wave of tech layoffs sweeping the Bay Area shows little sign of slowing, with new filings revealing job cuts at two major technology firms, along with smaller reductions at a biotech firm.