Stock Markets February 6, 2026

Corporate America Accelerates Job Reductions in Early 2026 as Firms Reorganize Around New Priorities

Major employers from technology to manufacturing and retail have announced hundreds to thousands of cuts so far this year amid strategic shifts and cost-reduction drives

By Marcus Reed C
Corporate America Accelerates Job Reductions in Early 2026 as Firms Reorganize Around New Priorities
C

A wave of workforce reductions has marked the opening weeks of 2026 across multiple U.S. sectors. Companies including Amazon, Autodesk, Dow, Nike, FedEx and others have announced staff cuts ranging from the hundreds to tens of thousands as they reallocate resources, restructure operations and pursue efficiency gains. Several organizations cited shifting investment priorities, including moves into cloud and artificial intelligence-related work, while others pointed to cost pressures and efforts to lift profitability.

Key Points

  • Large U.S. employers across technology, retail, manufacturing and finance have announced workforce reductions in early 2026, with cuts ranging from the hundreds to tens of thousands.
  • Amazon disclosed 16,000 job cuts worldwide as part of a broader corporate reduction target of about 30,000 roles; other major reductions include Dow's 4,500 cuts and Nike's 775 layoffs.
  • Several firms cited shifting resource allocation to cloud and artificial intelligence-related efforts, restructuring to raise profitability, or the need to cut costs amid weak demand in certain markets.

The beginning of 2026 has seen a notable flurry of job-cut announcements across U.S. companies as firms streamline operations and realign resources. Amazon disclosed it will eliminate 16,000 positions worldwide in what the company described as a second significant round of reductions within three months. The action comes as businesses shift spending priorities and reorganize workforces.

Below is a sector-by-sector account of U.S. companies that have publicly announced layoffs so far in 2026, including the timing and the figures those companies provided or that were reported:


Technology

  • Pinterest - January: Announced roughly 780 job cuts, described as reallocations of resources toward roles and strategy focused on artificial intelligence. The reported reduction represents less than 15% of the workforce.
  • Autodesk - January: Stated it would cut about 1,000 positions, or roughly 7% of its staff, with the company aiming to redirect spending to its cloud platform and artificial intelligence efforts.
  • Meta - January: Plans for reductions in its Reality Labs division were disclosed with the company expected to cut about 10% of employees working on certain virtual reality products. The total percentage of Meta-wide staff impacted was reported as unknown.
  • Amazon - January: Announced cuts of 16,000 roles worldwide. That figure was presented as part of a broader objective to eliminate roughly 30,000 corporate positions overall, with the 16,000 figure representing nearly 10% of that 30,000 corporate workforce target.
  • Angi - January: Reported reductions of roughly 350 jobs tied to initiatives intended to deliver AI-driven efficiency improvements. Specific percentage of workforce impacted was not provided.
  • Washington Post - February: Reported cuts around 2% aimed at shrinking news coverage; reporting on the precise scope and related details was limited in the available information.
  • Workday - February: Announced workforce changes with the company describing the moves as a realignment of resources toward top priorities; specific numbers were not disclosed.

Consumer and Retail

  • Home Depot - January: Announced roughly 800 job cuts as part of a broader push to improve efficiency. The company characterized the reductions as part of its ongoing goals.
  • Nike - January: Announced cuts totaling 775 positions. The reduction was described as a consolidation of operations footprint and the layoffs were reported to primarily affect distribution center roles in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Industrial and Manufacturing

  • Dow - January: Said it will cut about 4,500 jobs, or 13% of its workforce, in a restructuring the company said is aimed at generating at least $2 billion in incremental profitability.
  • Tronox - January: Reported 550 job cuts in Fuzhou, China, tied to a plant closure driven by weak Chinese domestic demand and rising costs. The percentage of total workforce impacted was listed as unknown in the available details.
  • FedEx - January: Announced changes in France that could affect up to 500 roles as part of an overhaul of operations and trimming of the station footprint in that country.
  • United Parcel Service - January: Reported workforce reductions of up to 30,000 roles associated with efforts to reduce low-margin delivery volumes and adjust costs amid shifting parcel dynamics; the timing was reported as part of cost-cutting moves.

Others - Media, Fitness, Finance and Space

  • Peloton Interactive - January: Announced workforce cuts described as part of a turnaround effort; the company reported reductions of about 11% of its staff.
  • Citigroup - January: Reported plans to cut about 1,000 jobs. The bank characterized these as part of a previously announced program to reduce the workforce by 20,000 positions by 2026.
  • Mastercar - January: Reported workforce adjustments of about 4% as part of a refocusing of investments; precise details provided were limited in the reporting.
  • Gemini Space Station - February: Announced plans to wind down some international operations, with up to 200 roles affected, as part of moves to support a path to profitability. The percentage impact was reported as around 25% in available notices.

Some entries in company disclosures or reporting contained incomplete or unspecified details. In several cases the exact percentage of total workforce impacted was not disclosed, and certain notices offered only the number of job reductions without accompanying context on timing or the precise organizational units affected.

Notes on selected company disclosures - Footnote-style details reported alongside the company notices included:

  • Meta's planned reduction of about 10% of employees in its Reality Labs division pertains to staff who work on specified virtual reality products.
  • Nike's announced cut of 775 positions was reported to primarily impact distribution center roles in Tennessee and Mississippi.
  • Citigroup's roughly 1,000-job reduction was described as part of a program announced two years earlier that aims to cut the bank's workforce by 20,000 roles by 2026.

Separately, promotional material included in some reporting referenced a service called ProPicks AI and noted it evaluates Citigroup among many companies using a range of financial metrics, and cited previous winners in its strategy. Those claims were presented alongside the company actions but are promotional in nature and distinct from the corporate workforce announcements.

As companies continue to adjust their cost structures and investment priorities, additional announcements are possible. The items above reflect publicly reported figures and statements released or reported through early February 2026, with some entries containing limited or unspecified detail in source notices.

Risks

  • Incomplete reporting on some company actions - Several announcements lacked full detail on the percentage of workforce affected or the specific divisions targeted, creating uncertainty for assessing full market impact (affects technology, media and finance sectors).
  • Ongoing cost pressures - Companies in manufacturing and logistics cited weak demand or rising costs as drivers for plant closures or operational overhauls, which could signal further restructuring in those sectors.
  • Potential for additional reductions - As firms continue to realign priorities and pursue profitability targets, more job-cut announcements are possible across sectors such as retail, technology, and transportation.

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