Last Year's Hiring Announcements Lowest Since 2015

Hiring announcements dropped to 7,999 in December from 11,621 in November. Sluggish hiring accounted for the slowdown in job gains last year, with the unemployment rate jumping from 3.7 percent at the start of the year to 4.3 percent in July and then stabilizing, hovering at 4.2 percent in November.

“The slower hiring pace reflects ongoing uncertainty in economic conditions and cautious approaches by employers to expansion,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “Most employers are anticipating additional uncertainty with the upcoming administration, which is leading to slower hiring.”

Planned job cuts totaled 761,358 last year, the highest since 2020 when the labor market was roiled by the COVID-19 pandemic, up 5.5 percent from 2023. Outside the pandemic, announced layoffs were the highest since 2009.

Planned job reductions dropped 33 percent to 38,792 in December. The technology sector accounted for the bulk of announced job cuts last year, followed by healthcare, automotive, services and consumer products industries.