How many people are laid off in the United States each month?
Updated monthly
About 1.76 million in December 2025. This includes all terminations of employment by an employer — called layoffs and discharges — such as permanent layoffs, temporary layoffs, and terminations because of mergers, downsizing, closings, or employee performance.
1.76M
people were laid off or discharged in December 2025
20.8M
layoffs and discharges in 2025 so far
Layoffs are a constant in the US labor market — from 2001 to 2019, there were more than 20 million a year. Increases in layoffs often reflect recessions or other economic disruption. For example, March and April 2020 saw record-setting layoffs and discharges because of COVID-19. So far in 2025 (January through December), layoffs and discharges total 20.8 million, which is 3.3% higher than the same period in 2024.
Layoffs were 3.3% higher by December 2025 than by December 2024.
Cumulative monthly layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted
What is the layoff and discharge rate?
Another way to consider this data is to look at the layoff and discharge rate. This puts layoffs in the context of the total number of people working and shows the percentage of employed people laid off during the given time period. This rate allows for better comparisons across time, industries, and places by adjusting for differences in the size of the working population.
In December 2025, 1.1% of employed people were laid off or discharged. This was equal to the average over the previous 12 months (1.1%).
The monthly layoff and discharge rate was 1.1% in December 2025.
Monthly (seasonally adjusted) and 12-month rolling average layoff and discharge rates, December 2000–December 2025
A 12-month rolling average smooths out short-term fluctuations and clarifies long-term trends. Aside from a recession-related uptick in 2008 and 2009, the 12-month rolling average layoff rate trended downward from 1.6% in 2001 to 1.2% immediately prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reached a record high of 2.4% in 2020 from pandemic-related layoffs before falling to a record low 0.9% in 2021 and 2022. The rate was 1.1% for January–December 2024.
What industries have the highest and lowest layoff rates?
The layoff and discharge rate varies across industries, which experience different economic pressures and are dependent on different types of workers or technologies. In December 2025, the rate was highest in the transportation/utilities industry (2.9%) and was lowest in government (0.3%).
The layoff and discharge rate was highest in the Transportation/utilities in December 2025.
December 2025 (seasonally adjusted) and December 2022–November 2025 average average layoff and discharge rates, by industry
The December 2025 layoff and discharge rates in financial activities, government, other services, retail trade, and wholesale trade industries were all lower than the three-year average (December 2022–November 2025) in each. Rates exceeded the 3-year average in the information, mining and logging, professional and business services, and transportation, warehousing, and utilities industries.
What states have the highest and lowest layoff rates?
Layoffs and discharges also differ across states for many reasons, including the economic vitality and the industry profile of the region. In November 2025, rates ranged from 0.6% in Michigan to 2.8% in Idaho.
The November 2025 layoff and discharge rate was highest in Idaho.
Seasonally adjusted layoff and discharge rate, November 2025
Job Openings
In Dec. 2024–Nov. 2025 average, the job openings rate was highest in Leisure and hospitality.
Layoff and discharge rate, by state (November 2025)
| 1. | Idaho | 2.8% |
| 2. | Nevada | 1.8% |
| 3. | Alaska | 1.5% |
| 4. | Montana | 1.5% |
| 5. | New York | 1.5% |
| 6. | Colorado | 1.4% |
| 7. | Hawaii | 1.4% |
| 8. | Tennessee | 1.3% |
| 9. | Virginia | 1.3% |
| 10. | Alabama | 1.2% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
