Layoff wave temporarily subsides: US companies’ layoffs in February halved compared to the previous month

Golden Ten Data reported on March 5 that the surge in layoff announcements by U.S. companies last month slowed compared to January, signaling stabilization in the labor market. According to data from the employment agency Challenger, Gray & Christmas, companies announced a total of 48,307 layoffs in February, less than half the total from the previous month—which had set the highest layoff record for the same period since 2009. The planned number of layoffs dropped by 72% compared to a year ago, when the Trump administration was rapidly taking action to cut the federal workforce. The report also showed that hiring plans in February more than doubled from the previous month, reaching 12,755 job openings, although this figure remains far below the level of the same period last year. Even so, these data further confirm that the labor market is stabilizing after basically stagnating in 2025. The government is expected to release the February employment report on Friday, which is projected to show moderate job growth and a stable unemployment rate.