ExclusiveUS Job Cuts Surge 245% in February on Government Layoffs

U.S. job cuts skyrocketed 245 percent in February, the highest monthly total since July of 2020, offering the clearest sign yet of the toll taken by the Trump administration's mass government layoffs. According to global outplacement firm Challenger Gray and Christmas, more than 172,000 planned layoffs were announced last month. It was the highest February total since the Great Recession 16 years ago. Challenger said Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, topped the reasons for job cuts. DOGE has purged thousands of federal government workers, including scientists and Game Rangers. So far this year, the government has laid off about 62,530 workers, a more than 41,000 Outside of government, there were job cuts in retail, technology, services and consumer products industries. The federal government layoffs are not expected to show up in February's nonfarm payrolls report, which is scheduled for release on Friday.