Layoffs Surge Worldwide as Amazon, Microsoft, UPS, Nestlé Slash Thousands of Jobs Amid Economic Pressure

Corporate layoffs continue to mount across the United States amid economic pressures from President Donald Trump's new tariffs, shifting consumer spending, and heavy investments in artificial intelligence, leaving workers increasingly anxious about job security. Amazon announced on October 28, 2025, plans to cut approximately 14,000 corporate positions—nearly 4% of its workforce—as CEO Andy Jassy redirects resources toward AI development, offering affected employees 90 days to seek internal roles.

United Parcel Service (UPS) disclosed 34,000 job reductions since January, surpassing earlier forecasts, alongside closing 93 facilities amid declining shipping volumes. Retailer Target eliminated 1,800 corporate jobs (8% of its global office staff) last week to streamline operations and address nine straight quarters of flat or falling sales.

These cuts reflect broader trends, with Nestlé planning 16,000 global layoffs over two years to counter rising commodity costs and tariffs on imports like coffee and cocoa, prompting summer price hikes. Lufthansa Group targets 4,000 jobs by 2030, focusing on administrative roles through AI and digitalisation despite robust travel demand.

Novo Nordisk will shed 9,000 positions (11% of staff) amid competition in obesity drugs like Ozempic; ConocoPhillips eyes 20-25% of its 13,000 workers for cost savings by year-end; Intel aims for 75,000 core employees via attrition and cuts; and Microsoft axed 9,000 recently after 6,000 in May, prioritising AI over layers of management. Procter & Gamble plans up to 7,000 reductions (6% globally) over two years due to restructuring and tariff impacts.

Georgetown's Jason Schloetzer notes that while AI isn't directly replacing jobs en masse, its massive capital demands are forcing trade-offs, with firms in a "no-hire, no-fire" stasis limiting opportunities. Private sector data underscores the chill: ADP reported a surprising 32,000 job loss in September—the first decline of 2025—revising August to a 3,000 drop, amid stalled government hiring stats from the ongoing shutdown. Federal workers face acute uncertainty, with over 4,000 receiving layoff notices early in the shutdown—now paused by courts—adding to 300,000 departures since January, many involuntary.

Also Read: Cloud Seeding in Delhi Achieves Limited Success, Director Reveals Reason

As the U.S. government shutdown enters its fourth week, analysts warn of eroding confidence across public and private sectors, with workers scanning limited prospects amid restructuring and policy flux. Social media buzzes with layoff tallies exceeding hundreds of thousands, blending corporate efficiency drives with tariff fallout, as firms like those above pivot to innovation at employees' expense—potentially signalling a cooling labour market ahead.

Also Read: UGC Blacklists 22 Fake Universities, Declares Their Degrees Invalid Across India