Last Week Layoffs in the USA (December 22–29, 2025)

As of December 29, 2025, the final week of the year saw a notably quiet period for major layoff announcements in the United States — a pattern consistent with historical trends where companies avoid negative headlines during the holiday season. While the broader 2025 job cut landscape has been historic, with U.S.-based employers announcing over 1.17 million planned reductions through November (per Challenger, Gray & Christmas — the highest since the 2020 pandemic), late December activity remained limited to smaller-scale or previously planned finalizations.

Trackers such as TechCrunch (updated December 22) reported around 300 employees affected across various tech firms and startups in December overall, with no significant new large-scale U.S. announcements emerging in the last week. Similarly, Intellizence and other sources highlighted minor or non-U.S. focused actions, such as Mr. Cooper Group (finance sector) planning 102 layoffs effective January 2026 (notified around December 24), but no major waves materialized between December 22–29.

This slowdown follows November’s 71,321 announced cuts (down 53% from October’s peak) and reflects year-end caution amid economic uncertainty, AI-driven efficiencies, and restructuring fatigue. Here’s a detailed look at the U.S. layoff situation for the last week of December 2025, including context from the full year.

Why So Quiet in Late December?

Companies traditionally defer major announcements until after the holidays to minimize PR impact and allow employees time with family — a practice solidified since the 2008 financial crisis. In 2025:

• No new large WARN notices or high-profile Big Tech cuts surfaced in this period.
• Ongoing effects from earlier rounds (e.g., phased terminations from October-November peaks like Verizon’s 13,000+ or Amazon’s 14,000 corporate roles) continued, but fresh public disclosures were scarce.
• Tech trackers like Layoffs.fyi and Crunchbase showed cumulative U.S. tech cuts at 126,000+ for the year, with December’s modest ~300 total (scattered across startups, cloud, fintech, and AI firms) not spiking in the final days.

Key U.S.-Focused Developments Around Late December

While no blockbuster announcements hit during December 22–29, a few smaller or impending actions were noted:

• Mr. Cooper Group (mortgage/finance): Planned 102 job cuts starting January 2026, with notifications issued in late December. This reflects ongoing consolidation in financial services.
• Scattered tech finalizations: Some companies wrapped up internal restructurings (e.g., Google Cloud-related roles with early-December internal move deadlines extending impacts).
• No major new tech, telecom, retail, or government (DOGE-related) waves reported in this narrow window.

For perspective, broader December activity remained subdued compared to earlier months, aligning with a year where AI was explicitly cited for ~55,000 cuts, restructuring dominated reasons, and federal efficiency initiatives (DOGE) contributed nearly 294,000 (though no new DOGE announcements in the last two months of 2025).

Broader 2025 U.S. Layoff Context

The year’s total through November stood at 1,170,821 announced cuts — up 54% year-over-year and the highest 11-month figure since 2020. Key drivers included:

• Tech sector — Over 126,000 U.S.-based cuts (Layoffs.fyi/Crunchbase), fueled by AI investments and post-pandemic corrections.
• Telecom — Verizon’s historic 13,000+ reductions.
• Government/DOGE — ~294,000 positions, the largest single category.
• Other sectors — Retail (~92,000), finance, and media also saw elevated numbers.

Affected workers continue facing a competitive market, with prolonged searches common due to hiring freezes and skill shifts toward AI expertise.

What This Means for American Workers

The holiday lull offers a brief respite, but experts anticipate potential upticks in January 2026 as companies finalize budgets and execute deferred plans. For those impacted:

• Unemployment benefits, career coaching, and upskilling (especially in AI, data analytics, and emerging tech) remain critical.
• Networking and resources like LinkedIn, industry groups, and government programs can help bridge transitions.