Employers announced 108,435 job cuts in Jan. 2026, the highest January tally since 2009, according to a report out Feb. 5, and a sign employers may be taking defensive steps against uncertainty about the economy.
“Generally, we see a high number of job cuts in the first quarter, but this is a high total for January,” said Andy Challenger, whose global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas publishes the report on job cuts and hiring plans every month.
Employer plans to hire were also at the lowest since 2009, the tail end of the Great Recession, when the jobless rate hovered near double digits, Challenger said. The 5,306 hiring plans announced in Jan. 2026 were half the 10,496 announced in December, while job cuts were more than double.
TRUMP: "We have the greatest economy in the world" — “A new golden age" — "hottest economy" REALITY: Private payrolls rose only 22,000 in January, far short of expectations.
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) February 5, 2026 at 6:13 AM
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Reality Check:
- U.S. employers announced 108,435 layoffs for the month, up 118% from the same period a year ago and 205% from December 2025. The total marked the highest for any January since 2009.
- At the same time, companies announced just 5,306 new hires, also the lowest January since 2009, which is when Challenger, Gray & Christmas began tracking such data.
- Also, job openings fell sharply in December to 6.54 million, to their lowest since September 2020. Available jobs are down by more than 900,000 just since October.
The Fascist Felon’s Polls on the Economy:
🇺🇸 Trump: I'm starting to get great polls on the economy. 🎙️ The polls on the economy, they're not great. 🇺🇸 Trump: They should be great. 🎙️ Why aren't they? 🇺🇸 Trump: I don't know.
— Savchenko Volodymyr (@savchenkoua.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 1:01 AM
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A Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Americans’ Views of the Economy Remain Negative
Majorities say they are very concerned about the cost of health care, food and consumer goods
Most Americans continue to hold negative views of the U.S. economy, as has been the case for the last six years.
About three-in-ten U.S. adults (28%) rate economic conditions in the country as excellent or good, while roughly seven-in-ten (72%) rate them as only fair or poor.
President Donald Trump has been historically unpopular — and his approval ratings are still dropping. Poll after poll shows Americans turning against Trump’s second act, dissatisfied with his handling of the economy and immigration.
— Vox (@vox.com) February 4, 2026 at 6:54 AM
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JHC! Give an Example, Asshole!
Guy who owns 20 homes doesn't do his own grocery shopping
— Michael McDonald (@electproject.bsky.social) February 5, 2026 at 7:36 AM
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Fact Check: True!
January 21, 2025 – American families paid $310 more for groceries in 2025 than the previous year, according to a new report, despite messaging from the Trump administration that food affordability pressures are easing.
Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released a report last week that compares the cost of an average American households’ weekly grocery trip. It compiles recent data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Personal Consumption Expenditures.
Grocery price inflation is picking up, defying Trump’s claims. Here’s why.
- Grocery prices climbed 2.4% over the year ending in December, BLS data showed.
- Trump’s tariff policy also played a role in the rise of food prices, some analysts said. They pointed especially to 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, which have pushed up can and other packaging costs.
- The price of steel cans has jumped 16% over the past year, according to government data on wholesale prices.
- “Manufacturers are paying more for their packaging material,” Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University, told ABC News. “Prices are going up.”
WARREN: Let me make sure I understand — Trump is not saying affordability, what's happening to families right now, is a hoax? BESSENT: He's saying that trying to blame this administration instead of the Biden/Warren economy is a hoax
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) February 5, 2026 at 7:29 AM
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A Decline in Tourism Hurts Our Economy:
CORTEZ MASTO: How do intend to address the tourism issue, that we are losing money in this country bc of the administration's policies? BESSENT: Is overall the occupancy in Vegas down, or are more Americans going? CM: It's a trillion dollar industry and you don't seem to think it's important
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) February 5, 2026 at 8:04 AM
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Put His Ass in a Home, Not the White House:
Dow drops 600 points, Nasdaq craters for a third day as stock sell-off gains steam
U.S. equities fell for another day on Thursday as investors took a risk-off stance, leading popular trades in technology and bitcoin to unravel.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 647 points, or 1.3%. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite declined 1.5% and 1.8%, respectively. That move helped put tech-heavy Nasdaq on track for its largest three-day drop since April 21, 2025.