Companies Reboot ‘Holiday Layoffs’ Tradition, Now in Extra Bite-Sized Chunks
KEY POINTS
- •Private market data from Challenger, Gray and Christmas shows November 2025 layoffs rose 24% from last year with 71,321 announced cuts.
- •Major companies like Verizon announced 13,000 layoffs the week before Thanksgiving, while Wells Fargo's CEO warned more cuts and severance are coming.
- •Glassdoor economist Daniel Zhao called pre-holiday layoffs 'Scrooge-coded,' yet firms continue the practice to curry favor with Wall Street investors.
Move over, turkeys and tinsel — this year, layoffs are the new holiday tradition everyone’s 'gifting.' Private job cuts hit 71,321 in November, the second-highest since 2008’s great financial meltdown, ticking up 24% year-over-year, per ‘Challenger, Gray and Christmas’ (who definitely name their firm for a reason). Wells Fargo and Verizon got early Santas, dropping job bombs just before Thanksgiving—13,000 layoffs for Verizon, CEO eyes even more cuts and severance expenses that sparkle brighter than Christmas lights. Glassdoor’s Daniel Zhao slaps a Scrooge sticker on pre-holiday firings, while execs brag to Wall Street that chopping payroll is their new festive flex.
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Nothing says ‘Happy Holidays’ like companies turning layoff season into a rewrite of 'Death by a Thousand Cuts: Corporate Edition.' AI’s broke but your job’s still getting sacked.
Why wait for Santa when Verizon and Wells Fargo deliver layoffs earlier than your in-laws at Thanksgiving dinner? Surprise! No gravy for you.
November layoffs jumped 24%. That’s right, it’s Christmas come early—but instead of presents, it’s pink slips. Festive breakups are now a trend.
Source: Axios | Published: 12/14/2025 | Author: Emily Peck
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