Nearly one in three American companies will lay off employees before the end of December, compounding what has already been the worst year for job cuts since the pandemic struck in 2020.
A November 2025 survey by Resume.org of 1,008 US business leaders found that 31% plan to conduct layoffs before the year ends. Of these, 57% will occur between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while 43% are expected during the week between Christmas and New Year. Additionally, 32% of companies had already begun reductions before Thanksgiving.
