Workers across the U.S. are feeling increasingly anxious about the job market as more companies announce layoffs and hiring remains sluggish, according to economists cited by the Associated Press. The AP reported that economists described the economy as largely in a “no-hire, no fire” standstill, limiting employers’ willingness to expand staffing. In the latest month it cited, the U.S. added about 50,000 jobs, down from a revised 56,000 in November.
The report described layoffs cutting across sectors, with some employers pointing to rising operational costs tied to President Donald Trump’s tariff push, stubborn inflation and shifts in consumer spending. Other companies, the story said, are downsizing after pandemic-era hiring booms, particularly in e-commerce, while still others are redirecting money toward artificial intelligence as part of broader corporate restructuring.
Beyond private employers, the AP said thousands of federal government employees lost their jobs in cuts taken by the Trump administration last year, adding pressure on workers already worried about finding stable employment. Against that backdrop, the article outlined a set of recent major job-cut announcements, ranging from manufacturers and retailers to tech and logistics.
Dow said it plans to cut about 4,500 jobs on Thursday as part of a broader effort to “streamline” operations, including a greater emphasis on AI and automation. The AP said the cuts are in addition to earlier reductions at the company, including 1,500 roles eliminated in January 2025 and another 800 jobs cut over the summer.
Amazon slashed about 16,000 corporate roles on Wednesday, the AP reported, coming roughly three months after it laid off another 14,000 workers. Amazon cited restructuring aimed at “removing bureaucracy,” while the article also noted that the cuts arrived as the company increased spending on AI. The report said CEO Andy Jassy previously told audiences he anticipated generative AI would reduce Amazon’s corporate workforce.
UPS said it plans to cut up to 30,000 operational jobs this year through a voluntary buyout offer for full-time drivers and attrition. The AP said the reduction follows continuing changes at the package company, including efforts tied to handling fewer Amazon shipments. The article added that the UPS cuts come on top of a combined 48,000 job reductions it disclosed in 2025.
The AP also described announced or expected cuts at other large employers. Tyson Foods said it would close a plant that employed 3,200 people in Lexington, Nebraska; the layoffs began on Jan. 20, and the company told state officials it would temporarily keep under 300 workers to finish the closure. Tyson, the story said, also announced plans in November to cut one of two shifts at a plant in Amarillo, Texas, eliminating 1,700 jobs.
HP said it expected to lay off between 4,000 and 6,000 employees as part of streamlining efforts that include adopting AI to increase productivity, with the company aiming to complete those actions by the end of the 2028 fiscal year. Verizon began laying off more than 13,000 employees in November, and a staff memo, as described by the AP, said CEO Dan Schulman told employees the company needed to simplify operations and “reorient” the entire company.
Other companies cited by the AP included Nestlé, which said in mid-October it would cut 16,000 jobs globally over the next two years as it sought to revive financial performance amid rising commodity costs and U.S. tariffs. Novo Nordisk said in September it would cut 9,000 jobs, about 11% of its workforce, as part of restructuring to sell more obesity and diabetes medications amid rising competition.
The AP’s roundup also included Intel, saying the chipmaker expected to end 2025 with 75,000 “core” workers, excluding subsidiaries, down from 99,500 core employees reported at the end of 2024. The story said Intel previously announced a 15% workforce reduction. It also reported Procter & Gamble cutting up to 7,000 jobs over the next two years, about 6% of its global workforce, and Microsoft conducting two rounds of mass layoffs last year affecting 6,000 and then another 9,000 positions.
In its “other companies” list, the AP cited additional reductions such as General Motors cutting about 1,700 jobs across manufacturing sites in Michigan and Ohio; Skydance-owned Paramount initiating roughly 1,000 layoffs in October and later planning another 1,600; Target eliminating about 1,800 corporate positions; ConocoPhillips laying off up to a quarter of its workforce, or between 2,600 and 3,250 workers; and Lufthansa Group saying it will shed 4,000 jobs by 2030.