Job cuts surged nationwide in January following large layoffs, but California’s losses slowed after a year in which it led the nation in staff reductions. Advertisement“Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high total for January,” said Andy Challenger, an executive at the outplacement firm. The massive California economy, by contrast, saw employers announce only 8,286 job cuts in January. There were just 2,739 job cuts announced the last month of the year, typically a slow time for layoffs before they pick up in the new year. The January job cuts by U.S. employers contribute to a less-than-stellar jobs picture, even as the national unemployment rate dipped a tenth of a point to 4.4% in December.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 05, 2026 21:31 UTC