Last month, U.S. employers announced approximately 153,074 job cuts, marking the worst October for layoffs in over two decades; the moves bring the 2025 year-to-date layoffs past 1 million — a 65 % increase on 2024 — with automation/AI cited in more than 31,000 of the cuts and key sectors including warehousing, technology, retail and nonprofits bearing the brunt.