Layoffs didn’t pause after last year—they accelerated. In January alone, U.S. employers announced more than 108,000 job cuts, the highest January total since 2009. And this time, the cuts aren’t isolated to tech. Transportation, logistics, retail, finance, and healthcare are all being hit.

What we’re seeing in early 2026 is a broad reset across corporate America—driven by restructuring, automation, and cost control.

Notable Layoffs So Far This Year

Transportation & Logistics

• UPS announced plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs and close 24 facilities as it restructures operations and reduces Amazon-related volume.

Technology

• Amazon confirmed approximately 16,000 corporate job cuts as part of a company-wide effort to reduce layers and improve efficiency.

• Meta announced additional reductions tied to Reality Labs and filed WARN notices impacting Bay Area roles.

Retail & Consumer

• Nike cut 775 U.S. jobs, primarily in distribution centers, as it accelerates automation and supply chain optimization.

Financial Services

• Citigroup cut roughly 1,000 jobs, with additional reductions expected as restructuring continues through the year.

Telecom & Infrastructure

• Ericsson announced plans impacting around 1,600 roles in Sweden as part of ongoing cost reductions.

The common thread: these layoffs are large, fast, and often spread across remote, hybrid, and operational roles—not just corporate offices.

Layoffs Don’t Just Reduce Headcount. They Increase Risk.

When layoffs happen at scale, companies face immediate operational exposure:

• Company laptops, phones, and other devices go unrecovered

• Asset inventories become inaccurate overnight

• Data remains on devices that are no longer controlled

• Security and compliance gaps appear during rushed offboarding

This is especially dangerous when employees are remote, geographically dispersed, or part of phased reductions.

Why IT Asset Retrieval Becomes Critical During Large-Scale Layoffs

Every unrecovered device is more than a hardware loss—it’s a security liability and a financial leak.

Reliable IT asset retrieval ensures:

• Devices are recovered quickly and documented

• Chain-of-custody is maintained for compliance

• Data exposure risk is minimized

• Replacement costs don’t erase expected layoff savings

• IT and HR teams aren’t overwhelmed during high-volume exits

In today’s layoff environment, companies can’t afford informal offboarding or “we’ll follow up later.” Asset retrieval must be structured, trackable, and scalable—or it becomes the next crisis after the layoffs themselves.