Amazon, GM, Meta, Target, and UPS are among large employers cutting tens of thousands of jobs
Layoff tracker for October and November 2025
In recent weeks, many of the nation’s largest employers have announced plans to lay off tens of thousands of workers, which the companies are crediting to a confluence of AI, tariff pressure, restructuring, and general mismanagement (okay, companies aren’t crediting mismanagement, that’s me).
That’s tens of thousands of workers entering a frozen job market, with corporations either actively trimming their workforces or refusing to hire new employees.
While overall unemployment remains low (from what we can tell during the government shutdown, when actual employment data isn’t available), long-term unemployment has been increasing: Almost 2 million people have been jobless for 27 weeks or more, federal data shows. ADP data shows the private sector created 14,250 jobs per week over the past month.
Below is a list of companies that have recently announced layoffs. It will be updated periodically. You can comment additional instances I missed or email them to aliciaadamczyk781@gmail.com.
Amazon: 14,000 corporate job cuts, with plans to eliminate as much as 10% of its white-collar workforce—that’s 30,000 jobs. Announced 10/28/2025.
Applied Materials Inc.: Plans to cut 4% of its workforce. Announced 10/24/2025.
General Motors: Cut 200 white collar jobs in Detroit on 10/24/2025. Laid off roughly 1,700 additional workers at manufacturing sites in Michigan and Ohio on 10/29/2025, citing a slowdown in the electric vehicle market.
IBM: Cutting “thousands” of roles in the U.S. and abroad in the fourth quarter. Announced 11/4/2025.
Meta: 600 corporate employees laid off. Announced 10/22/2025.
NBC News: Cut 150 jobs from its news division. Reported 10/14/2025.
Paramount: At least 2,000 cuts amid a post-merger restructuring. Announced 10/27/2025.
Synopsys: More than 2,000 workers are being let go after the company acquired Ansys. Reported: 11/13/2025.
Target: 1,800 corporate jobs eliminated. Announced 10/27/2025.
United Parcel Service: 48,000 positions eliminated this year. Reported 10/28/2025.
Verizon: The Wall Street Journal reported Verizon is planning to cut roughly 15,000 jobs to reduce costs.
YouTube: Announced “voluntary exit program” with severance for U.S.-based employees. Reported 10/30/2025.
Other interesting tidbits: PwC had previously promised to add 100,000 roles. Now, its scraped that pledge and laid off over 5,600 workers since June 2024.
As a qualified and experienced career coach, I’d say that these significant layoffs bring to light a tough truth: even when unemployment rates seem low, the job market is unstable.
We're seeing a rise in long-term unemployment, and factors like AI, restructuring, and economic slowdowns are changing the landscape of work more rapidly than many people realize.
This post should serve as a wake-up call for workers to take charge of their careers, continuously learn new skills, and not depend on job security from even the most well-known companies.
That’s why now is the time to future-proof your income by learning how to monetize your skills and create your own opportunities beyond traditional employment.