DOGE drove layoff announcements to their third-highest-ever level in March

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/03/economy/us-jobs-report-preview-march-doge-layoffs/index.html

DOGE drove layoff announcements to their third-highest-ever level in March
By Alicia Wallace, CNN
Published 7:30 AM EDT, Thu April 3, 2025

(CNN) - More than 275,000 layoffs were announced last month, reaching a level not seen since the pandemic, according to a new report published Thursday.

The biggest culprit was one particular employer: The federal government.

The federal government announced plans to axe 216,215 jobs, accounting for nearly 80% of the 275,240 layoffs announcements made by US employers in March, according to Challenger Gray & Christmas’ latest report. It’s the third-highest monthly total behind April 2020 (671,129) and May 2020 (397,016).

The Department of Government Efficiency has run roughshod on the federal government, slashing funding, scrapping contracts and laying off droves of federal workers.

“Job cut announcements were dominated last month by [DOGE] plans to eliminate positions in the federal government,” Andrew Challenger, senior vice president for the global outplacement and coaching firm. “It would have otherwise been a fairly quiet month for layoffs.”

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