NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� As layoffs pile up, workers are feeling about the job market.
In the U.S., economists have said that businesses are largely at a standstill, leading many to limit new work, if not pause openings entirely amid economic uncertainty. Hiring has stagnated overall 鈥� with the country last month, down from a revised figure of 56,000 in November.
But a growing list of companies are also cutting jobs. Employers have initiated layoffs across sectors 鈥� with many pointing to rising operational costs that span from President Donald Trump鈥檚 barrage of new , stubborn inflation and shifts in spending from consumers, whose outlook on the U.S. economy recently plummeted to its . Others are still working to downsize their workforces after a pandemic-era hiring boom, particularly in e-commerce. At the same time, more and more businesses are reducing their workforces as they money to , often baked into wider corporate restructuring.
Beyond the private sector, lost their jobs in cuts taken by the Trump administration last year 鈥� forcing many to look for new work. That鈥檚 further strained workers’ overall sentiment about finding stable employment today.
Here are a few companies that have announced some of the largest job cuts recently.
Dow
Chemicals maker Dow, Inc. announced plans to on Thursday 鈥� as part of broader push to 鈥渟treamline鈥� operations, which includes putting more emphasis on AI and automation. The cuts come on top of previous reductions taken by the company over the last year. Dow moved to axe 1,500 roles in January 2025, and another 800 over the summer.
Amazon
E-commerce giant Amazon on Wednesday 鈥� just three months after laying off . In its latest round of layoffs, Amazon cited restructuring aimed at 鈥渞emoving bureaucracy” in its operations, but the cuts also arrive as the company continues to ramp up spending on AI. CEO Andy Jassy that he anticipated generative AI to reduce Amazon’s corporate workforce.
UPS
On Tuesday, United Parcel Service said it plans to this year 鈥� notably as the package company continues to reduce the number of Amazon shipments it handles amid wider turnaround efforts. UPS said these cuts will be made through a voluntary buyout offer for full-time drivers and attrition. The reductions come on top of a that the company disclosed in 2025.
Tyson Foods
Late last year, Tyson Foods it would be closing a plant that employed 3,200 people in Lexington, Nebraska 鈥� for nearly a third of the small town’s population of 11,000. The layoffs began on Jan. 20, but the company notified state officials that it was temporarily retaining under 300 workers to help complete the closure. Tyson also announced plans to cut one of two shifts at an Amarillo, Texas plant, eliminating an additional 1,700 jobs.
HP
Also in November, HP it expected to lay off between 4,000 and 6,000 employees. The cuts are part of a wider initiative from the computer maker to streamline operations, which includes adopting AI to increase productivity. The company aims to complete these actions by the end of the 2028 fiscal year.
Verizon
Verizon began in November. In a staff memo announcing the cuts, CEO Dan Schulman said that the telecommunications giant needed to simplify operations and 鈥渞eorient鈥� the entire company.
狈别蝉迟濒茅
In mid-October, 狈别蝉迟濒茅 said it would be 鈥� as part of wider cost cutting aimed at reviving its financial performance amid headwinds like rising commodity costs and U.S. imposed . The Swiss food giant said the layoffs would take place over the next two years.
Novo Nordisk
In September, Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk , about 11% of its workforce. The company 鈥� which makes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy 鈥� said the layoffs were part of wider restructuring, as it works to sell more obesity and diabetes medications amid rising competition.
Intel
Intel has moved to shed thousands of jobs as the struggling chipmaker works to revive its business. Last year, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said Intel expected to , excluding subsidiaries, through layoffs and attrition. That鈥檚 down from 99,500 core employees reported the end of 2024. The company previously announced a .
Procter & Gamble
Last summer, Procter & Gamble said it would over the next two years, 6% of the company鈥檚 global workforce. The maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers said the cuts were part of a wider restructuring 鈥� also arriving amid tariff pressures.
Microsoft
Microsoft initiated two rounds of mass layoffs last year 鈥� first and then . The tech giant cited 鈥渙rganizational changes,鈥� but the cuts also arrived as the company spends heavily on AI.
Other companies that have taken job cuts recently
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
