ICYMI: U.S. Layoffs in January Were At The Highest Level Seen Since 2009
DES MOINES – The U.S. economy is off to a rough start in 2026. 108, 435 layoffs were recorded by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas in January. That number is up 118% percent from January 2025, and is the highest layoff total of any January since 2009.
The number of new hires also fell in the first month of 2026, compounding the crisis. Only 5,306 new hires were made, once again the lowest level since January 2009 — when America was still suffering from the 2008 Financial Crisis.
“Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high total for January. It means most of these plans were set at the end of 2025, signaling employers are less-than-optimistic about the outlook for 2026,” said Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
In Iowa — Wells Fargo announced 49 people will be laid off from its West Des Moines Campus today. According to the Iowa WARN website, more than 200 Iowa workers have been laid off from their jobs since January 1, 2026.
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