2026 Layoffs Tracker: Major Companies Cutting Jobs, WARN Notices & What to Expect Before 2027

Updated October 29, 2026 | By OSPP Resume & Career Coaching

Which companies are laying off employees in 2026? How many layoffs have been announced, what industries are affected, and which reductions are scheduled before 2027? This continually updateable guide separates confirmed announcements, reported cuts, multiyear restructuring plans, and legally filed layoff notices—then explains what experienced U.S. professionals can do next.

Important: This is a researched selection of significant company announcements, not a complete list of every U.S. layoff. Company figures may be worldwide; the national Challenger figures below refer to U.S.-based employer announcements. The sum of company figures must not be added to the national tally because of overlapping coverage, international scope, reporting differences, and multiyear timelines.

2026 layoffs by the numbers: what the data actually says

U.S.-based employers announced 573,195 job cuts from January through September 2026, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 39% below the same period in 2025. September accounted for 43,281 announced cuts. These are announcements, not a count of people already unemployed. Read Challenger's October 1 report.

Among major industries, technology accounted for 165,925 announced job cuts through September; transportation 44,430; health care/products 37,417; consumer products 30,652; and services 30,084. Challenger attributed 120,136 year-to-date announced cuts to employer-cited AI reasons; that classification reflects stated rationales and does not prove AI was the sole cause of each loss. Source: Challenger.

Major companies announcing or reporting layoffs in 2026

This company tracker is current to October 29, 2026. The status column matters: an announced reduction, a reported reduction, and a multiyear workforce plan do not mean the same thing.

Company	2026 timing	Reported change	Status
Amazon	January; October	16,000 corporate roles worldwide announced in January; up to 250 devices-and-services roles cut October 28, in addition to other separate rounds.	Announced / further cuts
Microsoft	July	Approximately 4,800 positions were listed in an October Reuters AI-related company roundup.	Announced
Meta	2026	Several reductions were reported; precise company-wide totals vary by dataset. Do not confuse earlier reports of potential 20% cuts with confirmed layoffs.	Reported/announced, totals vary
Block	February	More than 4,000 roles in an AI-focused restructuring.	Announced
Dow	January	Approximately 4,500 jobs, around 13% of workforce, in a restructuring plan.	Announced
Intuit	May	Approximately 3,000 positions, roughly 17% of the workforce, according to Reuters' October compilation.	Announced
Cisco	May	Under 4,000 jobs, or less than 5% of employees, according to Reuters' October compilation.	Announced
Morgan Stanley	March	About 2,500 positions, roughly 3% of workforce.	Reported
Citigroup	Early 2026	About 1,000 additional positions connected to a previously disclosed multiyear reduction strategy.	Reported
Nike	Early 2026	775 distribution employees, chiefly in Tennessee and Mississippi.	Reported
UPS	January plan for 2026	Up to 30,000 operational positions through attrition and voluntary separation; not equivalent to 30,000 involuntary layoffs.	Planned attrition/buyouts
Kroger	October	Approximately 3,000 corporate roles over the following three years—not all before 2027.	Multi-year announced plan
Standard Chartered	May	More than 7,000 positions targeted over four years—not a 2026-only count.	Multi-year plan
Electronic Arts	October 21	Approximately 400 roles as recorded by independent tech layoff trackers; confirm with primary reporting before reuse in a standalone company claim.	Tracker-reported
eBay	October 21	Approximately 1,100 roles in the October round according to technology layoff tracking; verify against company statements.	Tracker-reported

Source notes: Counts and status language are drawn from Reuters' October 22 company roundup, Reuters' October 12 roundup, Reuters' October 28 Amazon report, Reuters on Kroger, the Layoffs.fyi tech tracker, UPS reporting, and Associated Press reporting on Morgan Stanley. Independent trackers may use different methods, and their counts can change; verify exact workforce impacts before citing them in individual job applications or communications.

Which layoffs are already scheduled for November and December 2026?

Public WARN notices can document future separation or closure dates. A filing is evidence of a stated employer plan at the time of filing—not a guarantee that every separation will occur exactly as originally scheduled.

• Pepsi Beverages / CB Manufacturing, Hyattsville, Maryland: Maryland's WARN list records 143 affected workers with an effective date of November 13, 2026.
• United Air Temp (Maryland-based remote service workers): 39 workers, listed effective November 10, 2026.
• Stanley Black & Decker, Hampstead, Maryland: a WARN entry records 55 workers affected by a closure spanning October 23, 2026 to March 26, 2027; do not count all 55 as 2026 departures.
• Acme Brick, Montgomery, Alabama: an aggregated WARN tracker lists 53 workers, effective December 31, 2026. Check the state notice for the latest amendment.
• 99 Ranch Market / Tawa, San Bernardino County, California: an aggregated tracker lists 49 affected workers, effective November 15, 2026; verify with the relevant state WARN database before making a personnel decision.

For first-party verification, review Maryland's official WARN records and the relevant state's labor agency. This cross-state tracker can help identify filings but should not replace official notices.

Expected layoffs before 2027: what is confirmed and what is speculation?

Some employers have announced reductions that extend beyond October; others have multi-year workforce-efficiency targets, and still others face media speculation. These categories should remain separate.

• Confirmed future-dated notices: location-specific WARN entries, such as the Maryland notices listed above, are the strongest concrete signals about planned November–December separations.
• Multi-year programs: Kroger's approximately 3,000 planned corporate reductions are intended to unfold over three years. Standard Chartered's reduction of more than 7,000 positions similarly spans multiple years. Neither is a forecast that all those positions disappear before January 1, 2027.
• Attrition and buyouts: UPS's plan to shed up to 30,000 operational roles in 2026 relies on voluntary programs and attrition, not necessarily forced layoffs for every position.
• Rumors and market forecasts: possible future changes at other firms are not confirmed layoffs. OSPP will not present unannounced workforce reductions as scheduled events.

Are AI and automation causing layoffs in 2026?

AI is part of many corporate restructuring discussions, but not every role cut is a direct replacement by an AI system. Through September, Challenger classified about 21% of announced U.S. cuts under AI as the employer-stated reason, alongside closures, market conditions, demand changes, and restructuring. The right career response is to investigate where work is changing in your specific function, rather than assume your profession has disappeared. Challenger's sector and reason breakdown.

What should you do if your company announces layoffs?

1. Confirm the situation before reacting

Read official employer notices, severance and benefits documents, and state WARN filings. Do not rely on social-media rumors. If impacted, document key dates and review unemployment and health coverage options through relevant official agencies.

2. Decide what roles your experience actually supports

A job title is not the complete scope of your work. A Healthcare Revenue Cycle Specialist may also have evidence of reporting, regulatory compliance, systems implementation, or operational improvement. An Operations Coordinator may have project delivery, vendor management, or measurable process improvement experience. Those experiences can be valuable for adjacent roles—but only when qualifications and market requirements align.

3. Diagnose your job-search problem before buying a full résumé rewrite

No screening calls may indicate mismatched targeting, résumé positioning, requirements, or timing. Interviews without offers may require a different diagnosis. A résumé alone cannot guarantee interviews, and AI-generated language is not a substitute for evidence-based professional positioning.

4. Translate responsibilities into verifiable outcomes

Compare a weak claim such as “Responsible for daily reporting” with a stronger, factual outcome such as “Built a weekly reporting process used by three departments, reducing manual preparation time by 30%,” if your records genuinely support those numbers. Never invent metrics.

5. Prepare before separation becomes urgent

Maintain a record of achievements, transferable skills, target roles, LinkedIn connections, and references. If a layoff becomes imminent, having your positioning ready can reduce delays in starting a targeted search.

Frequently asked questions about 2026 layoffs

How many layoffs have been announced in the U.S. in 2026?

Challenger reported 573,195 announced U.S. job cuts through September 2026. October's full-month official Challenger figure was not available as of this article's October 29 update. The number is not a count of completed separations. Source.

Which industries have the most 2026 announced job cuts?

Technology led through September, followed by transportation, health care/products, consumer products, and services, according to Challenger. Source.

Will there be more layoffs before 2027?

Some employers have already filed WARN notices with November or December effective dates. That establishes specific announced plans, not a nationwide forecast of total cuts. Example: Maryland WARN records.

Does a company layoff mean its jobs are no longer worth applying to?

Not necessarily. Different departments, locations, and roles can be affected differently. Verify current openings and requirements independently, and avoid applying solely because a job posting has an attractive salary.

Can a career coach help after a layoff?

Career strategy can help clarify target roles, positioning, LinkedIn messaging, and interview readiness, but no ethical provider can promise a particular job offer or hiring timeline.

Need a career strategy, not another generic résumé?

OSPP Resume & Career Coaching works with U.S. professionals to clarify target roles and present credible, results-based experience. Our $100 Résumé + LinkedIn Career Audit reviews your positioning and identifies what to address before committing to a full rebuild. Explore paid services at osppcareercoaching.com.

Editorial policy: This article reflects publicly reported information as of October 29, 2026. Numbers from company announcements, state WARN notices, and independent trackers use different methods. We will update this article when material new data is verified.