Article: The major layoffs of 2025

Employment Landscape

The major layoffs of 2025

As we move forward, so do the layoffs. Here is a timeline of job-cuts announced in top companies, including tech, in the year 2025 so far.
The major layoffs of 2025

We have only crossed about two months into 2025 and many big corporates, including tech companies have already announced major layoffs for the year. About 53 tech companies have laid off at least 13,353 employees in 2025 so far, according to data shared by layoffs.fyi.   

Headcount reductions are happening at unprecedented rates in many sectors, impacting thousands of employees across the world, in the name of cost-cutting, restructuring, and adjusting to lower demand. Here, we have complied a list of major companies that have announced layoffs in the year 2025 till date. 

Feb 18, 2025: NASA to cut 2,000 jobs amid workforce reduction

NASA laid off 10% of its workforce, according to reports. These layoffs are a result of federal buyouts and the firing of probationary workers. Around 750 NASA employees have accepted the deferred resignation buyout offered by President Trump’s administration to federal employees. NASA is the largest space agency in the world, employing about 18,000 civil servants.

Feb 17, 2025: Southwest Airlines announces to cut 15% jobs

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced that it would cut about 15% of its corporate workforce or 1,750 roles. This marks the airline's first major layoffs in 53 years. It would affect corporate overhead and leadership roles, including senior leadership and directors. The job cuts, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2025, are part of a plan by the airline to slash costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organisation,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said.

Feb 13, 2024: Blue Origin to lay off about 10% staff 

Blue Origin announced a company-wide layoff of about 10% of its employees to cut costs and ramp up rocket launches. The layoffs are likely to affect about 1,400 employees, mostly in Florida, Texas and Washington.

Feb 12, 2025: JPMorgan Chase begins about 1,000 layoffs 

JPMorgan Chase started a fresh round of layoffs, likely to affect about 1,000 employees. It plans to make several more rounds of cuts by the end of the year, calling them part of the “regular management of the business”, according to reports.

Feb 12, 2025: Chevron to slash up to 20% of its global workforce  

Chevron announced plans to cut 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026. It would affect about 6,000 to 8,000 employees, as the company seeks to cut costs, simplify its business, and complete a major acquisition. The US oil producer has faced production challenges, including cost overruns and delays in one of its oilfield projects.

Feb 12, 2025: Crytek to trim 15% of its workforce 

German developer Crytek announced that it would cut 15% of its workforce, affecting employees on its development and shared services teams. This decision follows its announcement in Q3 2024 that the development of Crysis 4 to be put on hold due to unfavourable market dynamics. 

Feb 10, 2025: Meta to cut 3, 600 jobs, about 5% of its workforce  

Meta announced another round of layoffs in 2025, targeting low performers. It is likely to reduce its workforce by 5%, about 3,600 workers, and replace them with new employees. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in an internal memo, has emphasised the need to “raise the bar on performance management” and remove those who are not performing. This follows Meta’s major layoffs in 2022 (11,000 employees) and 2023 (10,000 employees). 

Feb 7, 2025: Estee Lauder to cut up to 7,000 jobs

New York-based luxury skincare and makeup brand Estee Lauder announced that it will cut 7,000 jobs by the fiscal year 2026. The layoffs would constitute over 11% of its workforce. It plans to cut jobs after suffering losses in the recent quarter in addition to a 6% fall in sales.

Feb 7, 2024: Infosys confirms 300 exits of trainees

Infosys issued a statement clarifying that about 300 trainees were let go, all of whom had failed to pass its internal assessments. The company emphasised that these dismissals were conducted as part of its standard procedures, ensuring that only qualified candidates move forward in their careers at Infosys.

Feb 6, 2025: Sonos fires 200 employees to focus on smaller teams

Audio technology company, Sonos has laid off 200 employees as part of its restructuring process. This comes as Sonos wants to reduce staffs and focus on smaller, more efficient teams to improve decision-making and streamline collaboration. The announcement was made by CEO Tom Conrad, highlighting the need for the company to be more profitable amid ongoing challenges.

Feb 6, 2025: Workday slashes 8.5% of its workforce

Finance and human resources software company, Workday has cut 1,750 jobs, about 8.5% of its workforce, in a major restructuring move. In a note to employees, CEO Carl Eschenbach said the mass layoffs were a "difficult, but necessary, decision" as the company clears resources to help expand its global presence and prioritises the demand for artificial intelligence.

Feb 4, 2025: Salesforce to cut 1,000 jobs

American cloud-based software company, Salesforce has cut 1,000 jobs. However, the leading maker of customer management software is reportedly on a hiring spree for salespersons focused on its new AI agent products. Displaced employees could be absorbed if they apply for other positions within the company. It appears that affected employees with transferable skills will have a chance to regain employment.

Jan 30, 2025: Amazon announces new round of layoffs

Amazon is again planning job cuts in its communications and sustainability divisions, the e-commerce giant said. The fresh layoffs were part of a series of cuts to reduce costs and streamline operations. It has been cutting jobs since 2022, when it laid off 27,000 employees.

Jan 28, 2025: Kohl's trims its workforce by 10%

Kohl's has reduced about 10% of its corporate workforce to improve profitability, it said. The layoffs follow its announcement to close 27 less-performing stores by April 2025, as well as an e-commerce fulfilment centre in California. The department store chain had about 96,000 employees in 2023, including nearly 36,000 full-time and 60,000 part-time workers. 

Jan 23, 2025: CNN announces layoffs to revamp its digital strategy

CNN would cut around 6% of its workforce to revamp its digital strategy, it announced. CEO Mark Thompson said that CNN would soon unveil a new streaming service, a redesigned digital footprint and new subscriber services, as well as the new show line up. CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is investing $70 Mn into CNN’s digital plans, Thompson said. The layoffs would affect about 200 employees, said Thompson.

Jan 23, 2025: Adidas likely to cut up to 500 jobs 

Adidas is likely to cut 500 jobs to simplify its business. The layoffs would affect employees working at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and represent about 9% of the 5,800 employees at the location. The layoffs are not a cost-cutting effort, as per the company and are designed to get staffing in line with how the business has been operating over the past two years.

Jan 22, 2025: Stripe to let go 300 employees 

Stripe would cut 300 jobs in product, engineering, and operations following an organisational review to ensure the right talent is in place to achieve its objectives. The payment processing company is implementing layoffs as part of its organisational restructuring. 

Jan 21, 2025: Starbucks to layoff staff as part of 'revitalisation strategy'

Starbucks CEO and Chairman Brian Niccol announced impending corporate layoffs in a memo to employees. The layoffs, set to begin by early March 2025, aim to streamline operations as part of the company broader effort to rejuvenate its coffeehouse roots and address lagging sales. 

Jan 21, 2025: Reflector plans more layoffs 

Reflector Entertainment would lay off an undisclosed number of employees. In a statement on LinkedIn, Reflector CEO Herve Hoerdt confirmed the decision would result in some redundancies.

Jan 17, 2025: BP announces 5% workforce reduction amid cost-cutting drive

British energy giant BP would reduce its global workforce by 5%, affecting around 4,700 employees and 3,000 contractors, as part of a cost-cutting initiative led by CEO Murray Auchincloss. Apart from reducing its workforce, BP is shifting parts of its operations from the UK and the US to Hungary, India, and Malaysia as part of its cost-saving strategy. 

Jan 9, 2025: Microsoft plans for another round of layoffs  

Tech giant Microsoft is planning another round of layoffs in 2025, targeting non-performing employees across various departments. However, the company has not revealed the exact number of employees to be affected by it. In 2023, it reduced its workforce by about 10,000 roles, equivalent to 5% of its global workforce. The trend continued in 2024 with about 2,000 layoffs in its gaming division. 

Jan 8, 2025: Ally Financial to cut jobs 

Ally Financial would cut less than 5% of its 11,000-employee workforce and exit the mortgage-origination business, it said. It is burdened by borrowers falling behind on debt, the bank said. The layoffs were part of its effort to "right-size" the bank.

This story will be updated periodically as more layoffs are announced.

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Topics: Employment Landscape, #Layoffs

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