According to CNBC, layoffs have become a major trend in the U.S. labor market in 2025, with many large companies announcing thousands of job cuts due to the application of artificial intelligence technology. Data from the consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows that the number of layoffs caused by AI in the U.S. reached nearly 55,000 in 2025, a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly evident in the labor market.

Layoffs

As of 2025, the total number of layoffs in the U.S. has reached 1.17 million, setting a record high since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In just October this year, U.S. employers announced 153,000 layoffs, and in November, it exceeded 71,000, with more than 6,000 job losses directly related to the application of AI technology.

Amid rising inflation and increased tariffs that raise business costs, AI has become a short-term solution for companies to cut expenses. A study released by MIT in November showed that AI is already capable of performing 11.7% of jobs in the U.S., especially in professional service sectors such as finance and healthcare, and this technology is expected to save up to $1.2 trillion in wage costs.

Among them, Amazon announced its largest round of layoffs in its history this year, cutting 14,000 company positions, aiming to concentrate resources on key projects including AI. Additionally, Microsoft also laid off approximately 15,000 employees this year, with the latest round involving 9,000 positions. IBM's CEO, Arvind Krishna, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that AI chatbots have taken over the work of hundreds of human resources staff, while Salesforce used AI technology to cut 4,000 customer service positions.

However, not everyone believes AI is the sole reason for the layoffs. Some experts point out that this may only be an excuse used by companies to explain the layoffs. Fabian Stefanini from the Oxford Internet Institute analyzed that many companies that performed well during the pandemic actually had "severe over-hiring," and the current layoffs may simply be a "market clearing." He believes that companies tend to look for scapegoats, attributing the layoffs to AI technology rather than admitting their own hiring mistakes.

Key Points:

🌐 Nearly 55,000 layoffs in the U.S. in 2025 were caused by AI, with the total number of layoffs reaching 1.17 million.

💼 Companies such as Amazon and Microsoft have cut a large number of positions due to AI technology to save costs.

🤖 Experts believe that layoffs may be the result of companies using AI as an excuse.