Challenger tracks job cuts by company headquarters location, unless an announcement specifies the geographic location of the layoffs.
So far in 2025, the East region has experienced the largest year-over-year increase in job cuts, surging 222% from 130,768 to 421,330. This dramatic rise is largely due to significant reductions at Federal agencies headquartered in Washington, D.C. The city has 289,586 cuts attributed to it, though many Federal cuts occurred in other cities. Other notable increases include New Jersey, which jumped from 5,403 to 23,138 cuts (a 328% increase), and New York, which rose 42% from 51,696 to 73,405. Meanwhile, some states saw sharp declines: Connecticut dropped from 7,986 to 1,440 (an 82% decrease), Vermont declined 54%, and Massachusetts fell 32%.
The Midwest region saw a slight overall increase in job cuts, rising 4.1% from 76,159 in 2024 to 79,292 in 2025. However, trends varied significantly by state. Ohio reported a 105% increase, rising from 18,206 to 37,380, and Nebraska surged more than sixfold from 689 to 4,398. On the other hand, Michigan fell 38%, Wisconsin dropped 71%, and Illinois declined by 37%.
In the West region, job cuts remained essentially flat, with a slight decline of 0.7%, dropping from 172,498 in 2024 to 171,241 in 2025. California led the region with 100,084 cuts this year, up 41% from 70,847 last year. Arizona also saw a 40% increase. However, several states experienced sharp drops, including Nevada and Oregon, each down 81%, and Texas, which declined 35%. Washington remained relatively steady with a slight decrease.
The South region reported a 31% increase in job cuts, rising from 55,220 in 2024 to 72,445 in 2025. Georgia posted one of the largest increases, with cuts jumping from 15,861 to 26,656 (up 68%). Florida nearly doubled its total, and Alabama saw a large jump from 2,699 to 6,530. Meanwhile, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina all saw declines compared to 2024.