How many people are laid off in the United States each month?
Updates published monthly
About 1.6 million in May 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.
1.6M
people were laid off or discharged in May 2025
8.4M
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 May), layoffs and discharges total 8.4 million, which is 2.4% higher than the same period in 2024.
Layoffs were 2.4% higher by May 2025 than by May 2024.
Cumulative monthly layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted
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.
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In May 2025, 1.0% of employed people were laid off or discharged. This was lower than the average over the previous 12 months (1.1%).
The monthly layoff and discharge rate was 1.0% in May 2025.
Monthly (seasonally adjusted) and 12-month rolling average layoff and discharge rates, Dec. 2000–May 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.
The layoff and discharge rate varies across industries, which experience different economic pressures and are dependent on different types of workers or technologies. In May 2025, the rate was highest in the construction industry (2.0%) and was lowest in government (0.4%).
The layoff and discharge rate was highest in the Construction industry in May 2025.
May 2025 (seasonally adjusted) and May 2022–April 2025 average layoff and discharge rates, by industry
The May 2025 layoff and discharge rates in private education and health services; information; professional and business services; wholesale trade; and retail trade were all lower than the three-year average (May 2022–April 2025) in each. Rates exceeded the 3-year average in the government; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; construction; other services; financial activities; mining and logging; leisure and hospitality; and manufacturing industries.
Layoffs and discharges also differ across states for many reasons, including the economic vitality and the industry profile of the region. In April 2025, rates ranged from 0.8% in Colorado, Missouri, and Minnesota to 1.8% in New Jersey.
The April 2025 layoff and discharge rate was highest in New Jersey.
Seasonally adjusted layoff and discharge rate, April 2025
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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.
