US layoffs rise by 60% in March

US job cuts surged in March, reaching the third-highest monthly level ever, driven by efforts from the new US administration to reduce the workforce in government and the public sector.

US companies laid off 275,240 employees in March, a 60% increase compared to the previous month, according to a monthly report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas released today, April 3.

Compared to the same month last year, the total number of job cuts leapt 205% in March.

Most of these job cuts were due to efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by billionaire Elon Musk, to eliminate government positions.

Furloughs in the federal government reached 216,215 in March, with around 279,440 in Q1 2025.

Since the beginning of this year, the total number of job cuts in the US reached 497,050, the highest quarterly level since Q1 2009, when 578,510 employees were laid off.

“Job cut announcements were dominated last month by DOGE plans to eliminate positions in the federal government,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president and workplace expert at the firm. “It would have otherwise been a fairly quiet month for layoffs.”

Job cuts at tech companies reached 15,050 in March, while those in the retail sector amounted to 11,700. The consumer goods and automotive manufacturing sector saw 14,619 layoffs.