2025 Job Shock: Why Layoffs and Hiring Freezes Are Sweeping the Globe

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5 Key Takeaways

• Since January 2025, over 2,069 companies have announced mass layoffs, with major cuts across technology, automotive, retail, and government sectors.
• Large corporations like Intel, Microsoft, UPS, Boeing, and Hudson’s Bay have each announced layoffs ranging from several thousand to over 20,000 employees.
• Federal government and public sector layoffs have been significant, with federal agencies accounting for over 150,000 job cuts in Q1 2025 alone.
• Many layoffs are driven by restructuring, cost-cutting, automation, and shifts toward AI, impacting both white-collar and blue-collar roles globally.
• Layoff data is tracked and curated by Intellizence for market, sales, customer, and risk intelligence, and is available via API and web dashboard.

Major Layoffs and Hiring Freezes in 2025: What’s Happening and Why?
If you’ve been following the news lately, you might have noticed a wave of layoffs and hiring freezes sweeping across many industries in 2025. From tech giants to car manufacturers, and even government agencies, thousands of people are losing their jobs. But what’s really going on, and which companies are affected? Here’s a breakdown in simple terms.

Why Are So Many Companies Laying Off Workers?
There are a few big reasons behind these job cuts:

Economic Pressures: Many companies are facing tough economic times, with lower sales, higher costs, and uncertain markets.
Restructuring: Some businesses are changing how they operate, focusing on new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), or moving jobs to countries where labor is cheaper.
Mergers and Acquisitions: When companies merge or get bought out, they often cut overlapping jobs.
Government and Regulatory Changes: Even government agencies and universities are tightening their belts due to budget cuts or policy changes.


Which Companies Are Laying Off Workers?
Since the start of 2025, over 2,000 companies have announced major layoffs. Here are some of the biggest names and numbers:
Tech Industry

Intel: Cutting 24,000 jobs and stopping major factory projects in Europe. This is part of a huge restructuring to focus on new priorities.
Microsoft: Letting go of 9,000 employees to focus more on AI and efficiency.
Indeed & Glassdoor: Their parent company is laying off 1,300 people as they invest more in AI.
Meta (Facebook): Reducing staff by about 3,600, mainly targeting underperforming employees.
Cisco: Planning to cut about 7% of its workforce (around 5,900 jobs) as it shifts focus to AI and cybersecurity.

Automotive and Manufacturing

Nissan: Cutting 11,000 jobs globally and closing several factories due to weak sales.
Bosch: Laying off 1,100 workers in Germany as the auto market slows down.
Volkswagen: Reduced its German workforce by 7,000 since late 2023.
General Motors: Cutting 500 jobs at a Canadian plant and 1,000 more globally.

Retail and Consumer Goods

Hudson’s Bay: Canada’s oldest retailer is shutting down all stores and laying off over 8,000 employees.
Walmart: Letting go of 1,500 staff, mainly in tech roles, to simplify operations.
Clarks: Cutting over 1,200 jobs after a big drop in sales.

Aviation and Travel

UPS: Cutting 20,000 jobs as it delivers fewer packages for Amazon.
Jetstar Asia: Shutting down, affecting over 500 employees.
Oman Air: Laying off 1,000 workers to improve finances.

Other Sectors

Procter & Gamble: Eliminating 7,000 office jobs as part of a two-year restructuring.
Petronas: Malaysia’s state oil company is cutting 5,000 jobs due to falling oil prices.
United Nations: Planning to cut nearly 7,000 jobs as it slashes its budget.


What Does This Mean for Workers?
For many, these layoffs are a shock and create uncertainty about the future. Some companies are offering severance packages or help finding new jobs, but it’s still a tough time for those affected.
On the flip side, some companies are also hiring in new areas, especially in AI and technology. So while some jobs are disappearing, new ones are being created—but often in different fields or locations.

The Bottom Line
2025 has been a challenging year for workers in many industries. If you or someone you know has been affected, know that you’re not alone—these changes are happening worldwide. As companies adapt to new technologies and economic realities, the job market is shifting, and staying flexible and open to learning new skills is more important than ever.
Stay tuned for more updates as the situation develops.

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