US Layoffs Fall to a Three-Year Low for October as the Economy — Not AI — Becomes the Top Reason for Job Cuts
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers announced 43,994 job cuts in October 2026, the lowest total for the month in three years, according to a report released on Thursday, 5 November 2026, by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The figure was up 2 percent from September's 43,281, but down 71 percent from the 153,074 cuts announced in October 2025. Behind the headline lay a striking change: market and economic conditions, not artificial intelligence, are now the leading reason American employers give for cutting jobs. Illustration: A quiet American office with empty desks as US job cuts fall to a three-year low for October. What Happened Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which has tracked announced U.S. job cuts for decades, said October's total was the lowest for the month since 2023, when 36,836 cuts were announced, and below the 56,348 average for October from 2015 to 2025. Through October, employers have announced 617,189 job cuts in 2026, down 44 percent fr...