US job cuts rise in March, AI accounts for almost 25pc of layoffs
By Iain Gilbert
Date: Thursday 02 Apr 2026
LONDON (ShareCast) - (Sharecast News) - US employers announced 60,620 job cuts in March, up from 48,307 in February but well below the 275,240 recorded a year earlier, according to last month's Challenger jobs report.
The technology sector saw the largest number of planned reductions at 18,720, followed by pharmaceuticals, education and financial services, with artificial intelligence cited as the main driver of cuts, accounting for 15,341, or roughly a quarter of the total figure.
However, US employers announced 217,362 cuts across the first quarter - the lowest Q1 total since 2022 and down 16% from the final three months of 2025.
"Removing the wave of federal layoffs announced in February and March of last year, job cut announcements in 2026 are closely following the pattern of 2025. Last year it was government, retail, and technology. This year, it's technology, transportation, and healthcare," said Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com
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