TechFlow news, September 4 — Kobeissi Letter published an analysis indicating severe deterioration in the U.S. labor market, with August 2025 layoffs surging to 88,736, the highest August figure since the 2020 pandemic. Year-to-date layoffs have reached 892,362, a 66% increase compared to the same period in 2024, and already exceeding the total annual layoffs of 2024 by 17%.
Industries related to DOGE accounted for the largest number of layoffs (292,279), while "market and economic conditions" emerged as the second-largest reason (199,297). The analysis notes that aside from 2020, this is the first time since the 2008 financial crisis that August layoffs have exceeded 85,000, and the Federal Reserve is expected to focus on this trend during its September meeting.
