US-based employers announced 45,489 job cuts in June, which is 53% lower compared to the 97,006 job cuts in May. Compared to the same month last year, the June total this year is down 4% and marks the lowest monthly total since December last year.
As for the year-to-date figure, that now stands at 443,604 job cuts in 2026 so far. And that is down some 40% compared to the 744,308 job cuts in 2025 through the first six months of last year. As a reminder, the big spike in 2025 owes much to the DOGE initiative.
Looking at the details, the tech sector continues to lead the way in terms of layoffs in announcing 15,503 job cuts. For some context, tech now accounts for nearly a third of all job cuts announced in the first half of the year. And the main reason for that remains the AI revolution.
"Tech remains the epicenter of this year's cuts. AI is the dominant force as companies are restructuring around it, automating roles, and reallocating budgets towards new capabilities. The sector is being reshaped in real time."
AI led all reasons for job cuts in June, leading to 14,029 layoffs. That was followed by market and economic conditions, which led to 12,470 job cuts.
