US companies announce layoffs to cut costs

(Reuters) -U.S. companies have initiated layoffs across sectors as they attempt to streamline operations amid economic uncertainties, following similar cutbacks seen last year.

The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, from early February showed vacancies were down 1.3 million over the year at the end of December, while remaining above the 2019 average, suggesting that the labor market was slowing down but not abruptly.

Here are some of the companies that have announced job cuts so far in 2025:

Sector Company Layoffs/J % of Total

ob Cuts Workforce

Consumer and Retail

Starbucks 1,100 0.52%

648 12%

Brown-Forman

Kohl's 9,600 10%

Estee 7,000 11.29%

Lauder

Amazon 1,700 Unknown

full-time

Walmart Hundreds Unknown

of roles

in North

Carolina

Wayfair 730 in Unknown

Germany

Aviation and Space

Southwest 1,750 15% of

Airlines corporate

roles

Blue 1,400 10%

Origin

Energy and Natural Resources

Chevron 8,000 20%

290 Unknown

Halliburton

Lyondell 400 Unknown

Basell

SolarEdge 400 Unknown

Technologies

Up to 700 1.70%

Archer-Daniels-Midlan

d

Dow 1,500 4.17%

Technology and Media

Meta 5% of Unknown

Platforms "lowest

performer

s"

Microchip

Technology 2,000 9%

Healthcare & Pharma

* UnitedHealth Unknown Unknown

Bio Rad Unknown 5%

* UnitedHealth was offering employees in its benefits operations unit the option to accept buyouts in February, and may pursue layoffs if the resignation quota is not met, according to a CNBC report.

(Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; editing by Arpan Varghese)