U. S. Job Cuts Drop in November, but Hiring Still Sluggish

In November, U. S. companies announced fewer job cuts, but hiring remained slow. This happened as businesses struggled with economic uncertainty, tariffs, and lower demand. The number of planned layoffs dropped by 53% from October, but it was still higher than last year. So far this year, employers have announced about 1. 171 million job cuts. This is a 54% increase compared to the same period last year. However, planned hires totaled only 497, 151, the lowest since 2010. This shows a big gap between layoffs and new hires. The labor market is in a strange place. There are not many new unemployment claims, but there are also not many new jobs. This is called a "no fire, no hire" situation. Experts blame this on fewer workers available, partly due to changes in immigration policies. Artificial intelligence is also affecting jobs, especially entry-level positions. So far this year, AI has been blamed for 54, 694 planned layoffs. In November alone, AI caused 6, 280 job cuts. Companies are also cutting jobs due to market conditions, tariffs, and government spending cuts. Telecommunications, technology, and meat processing firms led the layoffs. Restructuring was the main reason for these cuts.