Challenger Job Cut Announcements
Monthly job-cut announcements by U.S.-based employers, tracked by Challenger
Where the Challenger Job Cut Announcements stands now
The Challenger Job Cut Announcements was 43,300 in September 2026, up from the 25,900 low in July 2024. It has been lower than a year earlier for four months in a row.
What it means for households: U.S. Unemployment & Job Market Statistics Behind on Your Mortgage?
How the Challenger Job Cut Announcements has moved since 2024
Challenger Job Cut Announcements: down since 2025
Monthly job cut announcements, thousands: 43,300 in September 2026, down from 54,100 a year earlier. Monthly, 2024–2026.
What the Challenger Job Cut Announcements measures
Challenger Job Cut Announcements by month, 2024 to 2026
| Month | Count | Change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 43.3K | −10.8K |
| Aug 2026 | 52.9K | −33.1K |
| Jul 2026 | 33.4K | −28.7K |
| Jun 2026 | 45.8K | −2.2K |
| May 2026 | 97K | +3.2K |
| Apr 2026 | 83.4K | −22K |
| Mar 2026 | 60.6K | −214.6K |
| Feb 2026 | 48.3K | −123.7K |
| Jan 2026 | 108.4K | +58.6K |
| Dec 2025 | 35.6K | −3.2K |
| Nov 2025 | 71.3K | +13.6K |
| Oct 2025 | 153.1K | +97.5K |
| Sep 2025 | 54.1K | −18.7K |
| Aug 2025 | 86K | +10.1K |
| Jul 2025 | 62.1K | +36.2K |
| Jun 2025 | 48K | — |
| May 2025 | 93.8K | — |
| Apr 2025 | 105.4K | — |
| Mar 2025 | 275.2K | — |
| Feb 2025 | 172K | — |
| Jan 2025 | 49.8K | — |
| Dec 2024 | 38.8K | — |
| Nov 2024 | 57.7K | — |
| Oct 2024 | 55.6K | — |
| Sep 2024 | 72.8K | — |
| Aug 2024 | 75.9K | — |
| Jul 2024 | 25.9K | — |
Monthly · Challenger, Gray & Christmas
Counties with the highest labor scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the labor part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apache County, AZ | 99.2 |
| 2 | Mingo County, WV | 98.7 |
| 3 | Navajo County, AZ | 97.3 |
| 4 | Luna County, NM | 97.2 |
| 5 | McKinley County, NM | 96.8 |
| 6 | Lake County, CA | 96.8 |
| 7 | Clare County, MI | 96.6 |
| 8 | Harlan County, KY | 96.2 |
| 9 | Wyoming County, WV | 96.2 |
| 10 | Pike County, KY | 96.1 |
Questions about the Challenger Job Cut Announcements
How many job cuts were announced in the latest month?
Challenger's tally for September 2026 is 43,300, fewer than the 54,100 a year earlier. Challenger has not published a revision policy, and in the reports checked its past monthly totals did not change.
Is this the number of people laid off?
No. It counts job cuts that employers announced, at the announced figure, including cuts planned over several years. Some never happen, some happen later, and some are buyouts or early retirements. It is also a different measure from the government's layoff and unemployment-claims statistics.
Do job-cut announcements predict unemployment claims?
Challenger's reports do not say so. Announcements are an employer's stated plan; initial claims are weekly filings with state unemployment programs, published by the Labor Department. The two come from different producers, count different things and run on different schedules.
Where does the layoff announcement data come from?
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a private outplacement and executive coaching firm, publishes the count early each month for the month before. It covers job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers, public and private. The firm does not publish how it finds or verifies announcements.
Sources and method for the Challenger Job Cut Announcements
- Challenger, Gray & Christmas We use the monthly figures as published, from July 2024 through September 2026, with no adjustment of our own. Challenger, Gray & Christmas doesn’t adjust this count for the season, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. Challenger, Gray & Christmas’s report
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.