[{"period":"2026-01","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":108435,"cuts_mom_pct":205.0,"cuts_yoy_pct":118.0,"ytd_cuts":108435,"ytd_yoy_pct":118.0,"hiring_plans":5306,"hiring_mom_pct":-49.1,"hiring_yoy_pct":-13.0,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":20.44,"top_industry":"transportation","top_industry_cuts":31243,"top_reason":"contract_loss","top_reason_cuts":30784,"layoff_intensity_score":1.68,"churn_pressure_band":"critical","publication_date":"2026-02-05","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-january-job-cuts-surge-lowest-january-hiring-on-record/","source_basis":"challenger_report","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Highest January total since 2009 (241,749); highest monthly since Oct 2025 (153,074). Transportation led on the UPS-Amazon split (30,000 of 31,243); Technology 22,291 on Amazon's 16,000 restructuring; Health Care 17,107 (most since Apr 2020). Hiring plans 5,306 — lowest January on record (since 2009).","row_hash":"8963528d88ea6b5f"},{"period":"2026-02","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":48307,"cuts_mom_pct":-55.5,"cuts_yoy_pct":-72.0,"ytd_cuts":156742,"ytd_yoy_pct":-29.3,"hiring_plans":12755,"hiring_mom_pct":140.4,"hiring_yoy_pct":-63.0,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":3.79,"top_industry":"technology","top_industry_cuts":11039,"top_reason":"closings","top_reason_cuts":10736,"layoff_intensity_score":-0.71,"churn_pressure_band":"guarded","publication_date":"2026-03-05","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-february-cuts-plunge-hiring-falls-56-percent/","source_basis":"challenger_report","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Lowest January–February total since 2022. Education 5,417 on school budget season (+96% YoY YTD); Industrial Manufacturing YTD +143%. AI cited for 4,680 cuts (~10% of the month).","row_hash":"d0fa5eced304eb0a"},{"period":"2026-03","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":60620,"cuts_mom_pct":25.5,"cuts_yoy_pct":-78.0,"ytd_cuts":217362,"ytd_yoy_pct":-56.0,"hiring_plans":32826,"hiring_mom_pct":157.4,"hiring_yoy_pct":149.0,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":1.85,"top_industry":"technology","top_industry_cuts":18720,"top_reason":"artificial_intelligence","top_reason_cuts":15341,"layoff_intensity_score":-0.22,"churn_pressure_band":"balanced","publication_date":"2026-04-02","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-march-cuts-rise-25-from-february-ai-leads-reasons/","source_basis":"challenger_report","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Q1 total 217,362 — lowest Q1 since 2022. AI led reasons for the first month (15,341, 25% of cuts). Transportation YTD 32,241 (+703%, record Q1); Health Care YTD 23,520 (record Q1). Hiring rebounded on seasonal summer jobs (~21% of March plans).","row_hash":"c7a4b1ce3c96b4b5"},{"period":"2026-04","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":83387,"cuts_mom_pct":37.6,"cuts_yoy_pct":-21.0,"ytd_cuts":300749,"ytd_yoy_pct":-50.0,"hiring_plans":10049,"hiring_mom_pct":-69.4,"hiring_yoy_pct":-38.0,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":8.3,"top_industry":"technology","top_industry_cuts":33361,"top_reason":"artificial_intelligence","top_reason_cuts":21490,"layoff_intensity_score":0.68,"churn_pressure_band":"critical","publication_date":"2026-05-07","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-april-job-cuts-rise-38-from-march-ytd-cuts-down-50/","source_basis":"challenger_report","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Third-highest April since 2009. AI led for the second straight month (21,490, 26% of cuts). Government 9,149 — highest since Mar 2025's 216,915. Pharma YTD +500%, Chemical YTD +167%.","row_hash":"bea35034c461cd22"},{"period":"2026-05","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":97006,"cuts_mom_pct":16.3,"cuts_yoy_pct":3.0,"ytd_cuts":397755,"ytd_yoy_pct":-43.0,"hiring_plans":19536,"hiring_mom_pct":94.4,"hiring_yoy_pct":null,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":4.97,"top_industry":"technology","top_industry_cuts":38242,"top_reason":"artificial_intelligence","top_reason_cuts":38579,"layoff_intensity_score":1.23,"churn_pressure_band":"elevated","publication_date":"2026-06-04","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-may-job-cuts-rise-16-from-april-highest-may-total-since-2020/","source_basis":"challenger_report;cross_outlet_verified","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Highest May since 2020; third straight monthly rise. AI hit a record monthly 38,579 (40% of cuts; YTD 87,714 vs 54,836 in all of 2025). Transportation 6,909; FinTech 5,731; Government 4,499.","row_hash":"eb1024efa9ec70a6"},{"period":"2026-06","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":45849,"cuts_mom_pct":-52.7,"cuts_yoy_pct":null,"ytd_cuts":443604,"ytd_yoy_pct":-40.0,"hiring_plans":10933,"hiring_mom_pct":-44.0,"hiring_yoy_pct":null,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":4.19,"top_industry":"technology","top_industry_cuts":15503,"top_reason":"artificial_intelligence","top_reason_cuts":14029,"layoff_intensity_score":-0.81,"churn_pressure_band":"elevated","publication_date":"2026-07-01","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-june-layoffs-cool-to-45849-down-53-from-may-ai-leads-reasons-for-fourth-consecutive-month/","source_basis":"challenger_report;cross_outlet_verified","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Summer cooling (−53% MoM), lowest monthly since Dec 2025. AI led reasons for the fourth straight month (14,029). Cuts remained concentrated in technology (YTD 139,156, +83% YoY).","row_hash":"937e851d12c13526"},{"period":"2026-07","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":33429,"cuts_mom_pct":-27.1,"cuts_yoy_pct":null,"ytd_cuts":477033,"ytd_yoy_pct":-41.0,"hiring_plans":16095,"hiring_mom_pct":47.2,"hiring_yoy_pct":null,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":2.08,"top_industry":"technology","top_industry_cuts":9867,"top_reason":"artificial_intelligence","top_reason_cuts":10970,"layoff_intensity_score":-1.31,"churn_pressure_band":"guarded","publication_date":"2026-08-06","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-layoffs-fall-hiring-picks-up-ai-leads-for-fifth-straight-month/","source_basis":"challenger_report","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Lowest monthly total since Jul 2024 (25,885). AI led for the fifth straight month (10,970, 33% of cuts). Hiring 16,095 — highest July since 2022. Technology is 31% of all 2026 cuts.","row_hash":"ef9f62bc76266cea"},{"period":"2026-08","country_code":"USA","total_cuts":52881,"cuts_mom_pct":58.2,"cuts_yoy_pct":-38.0,"ytd_cuts":529914,"ytd_yoy_pct":-41.0,"hiring_plans":12325,"hiring_mom_pct":-23.4,"hiring_yoy_pct":725.0,"cuts_to_hire_ratio":4.29,"top_industry":"consumer_products","top_industry_cuts":10057,"top_reason":"restructuring","top_reason_cuts":16173,"layoff_intensity_score":-0.53,"churn_pressure_band":"elevated","publication_date":"2026-09-02","report_url":"https://www.challengergray.com/blog/challenger-report-august-job-cuts-up-58-consumer-products-food-lead/","source_basis":"challenger_report","source_domain":"challengergray.com","collected_at":"2026-09-30","note":"Lowest August since 2022. AI's five-month run as top reason ended (3,462); Restructuring led (16,173, 31%). Consumer Products 10,057 and Food 7,982 (Tyson ~⅓) led industries. Hiring 12,325 — highest August since 2022.","row_hash":"91f6df5951f296aa"}]