Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, REPORTS—DOGE caused 60 percent increase in job cuts in March, with 275K jobs lost, (Apr 4, 2025)

By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.

The number of job cuts related to DOGE activities was topped only by eliminations following the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Actions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) resulted in a 60 percent increase in job cuts in March compared to one month prior and 205 percent compared to the same month in 2024, according to a report released by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. March’s total of 275,240 jobs lost is the third-highest monthly total ever recorded.

Effects on industries. The report shows that DOGE actions have been attributed to 280,253 layoff plans of federal workers, while another 4,429 job cuts—impacting mostly non-profits and health organizations—have resulted from the downstream effect of reductions in federal aid and ending of contracts. The government led all sectors in job cuts (216,215) in March 2025, all of which occurred in the federal government. Technology companies announced 37,097 job cuts in 2025, while retailers announced 57,804 cuts, consumer product manufacturers 14,619 cuts, and auto makers 7,146 cuts—representing increases for all of these industries. Financial firms, the media industry, and the news industry saw decreases in the number of jobs cut in 2025.

Fallout from DOGE activities. The impact of DOGE activities is the most often cited reason for job cuts in 2025, followed by market/economic conditions, then store, unit, or department closing, restructuring, bankruptcy, and tariffs. The east region of the U.S. experienced the steepest increase in job cuts—a 277 percent year-over-year increase—primarily to DOGE-related eliminations. Companies’ hiring plans fell in March by more than half.

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