By JobAdvisor.link Editorial Team
The latest US layoff news for October 19–24, 2026. See which major companies are cutting jobs, why employers are restructuring, and what workers should do next. Thousands of workers are facing uncertainty as major companies across the United States continue to restructure their workforces. From financial services and e-commerce to retail and manufacturing, employers are reducing headcount, consolidating teams, and redirecting spending toward their highest-priority businesses.
This week's biggest developments include American Express's plan to cut approximately 3,500 jobs and eBay's workforce reduction of roughly 1,000 positions. Kroger has also announced a substantial corporate restructuring plan, while layoffs and closure-related notices continue to appear across the country.
For employees, job seekers, and professionals watching the labor market, the message is clear: understanding where cuts are happening—and which skills employers still need—has become increasingly important.
Here is the latest roundup of major US company layoffs and workforce reductions as of October 24, 2026.
The biggest US layoff announcements this week
1. American Express: Approximately 3,500 jobs
American Express announced plans to reduce its global workforce by approximately 5%, affecting around 3,500 employees.
The announcement came alongside the company's third-quarter financial results, which showed higher profits and continued spending by its customers. Management described the reductions as an effort to improve efficiency and make the organization more agile, rather than a response to collapsing customer demand. Source: Associated Press.
The announcement is notable because it highlights a difficult reality for employees: layoffs can happen even at companies reporting strong financial performance.
For job seekers, the development is a reminder to look beyond a company's revenue or profit figures. Organizational restructuring, cost targets, and changes in business priorities can affect employment even when the business remains profitable.
What workers should watch: Further details about affected departments, locations, and the timing of the reductions.
2. eBay: Approximately 1,000 jobs
Online marketplace eBay announced plans to eliminate roughly 1,000 jobs, or about 9% of its workforce, as part of a broader restructuring.
According to Reuters, CEO Jamie Iannone told employees that the company wanted to simplify its operations and redirect resources toward its most important growth opportunities. The latest reduction follows another round of approximately 800 job cuts in February 2026. Source: Reuters.
The move shows that workforce reductions are not limited to companies struggling to generate sales. Businesses can also cut positions while reorganizing around new products, customer segments, and investment priorities.
For e-commerce professionals, this is a good time to strengthen skills in marketplace operations, digital merchandising, performance marketing, analytics, and customer experience.
Workers should also distinguish between the company's global reduction and US-specific layoffs. A global headcount figure does not establish how many positions will be eliminated in each American state.
3. Kroger: 3,000 planned corporate job cuts
Grocery giant Kroger has announced plans to eliminate approximately 3,000 corporate positions over the next three years.
The plan was reported by Reuters on October 12, so it falls outside this week's announcement window. However, it remains an important development in the current US restructuring picture.
The company intends to reduce duplicated work, streamline its corporate organization, and expand its use of technology, including artificial intelligence. The proposed cuts would affect a substantial portion of Kroger's corporate workforce. Management has said it wants to redirect resources toward lower prices and investment in store employees. Source: Reuters.
The distinction between corporate and store positions matters. The announced plan concerns corporate jobs; it should not be interpreted as a reduction of 3,000 grocery-store employees.
For job seekers, the development illustrates how automation and organizational redesign can change demand for administrative, analytical, and coordination roles, even in industries that continue to need frontline workers.
Other major employers and workforce reductions to watch
Not every significant layoff story this week represents a newly announced company-wide reduction. The following developments provide additional context for workers tracking the US employment market.
Uber: A previously announced 3,300-job reduction
Uber announced in September that it planned to eliminate approximately 3,300 positions globally, equivalent to about 10% of its workforce.
Reuters reported that the company intends to simplify its organizational structure, remove management layers, and redirect investment toward growth and innovation. The restructuring also comes as Uber responds to changing competition in ride-hailing and the expansion of autonomous vehicles. Source: Reuters.
The announcement is not new this week, but its implementation remains relevant. California employment filings reported in September identified 390 planned cuts across four Bay Area offices, scheduled to take effect on November 2. Source: San Francisco Chronicle.
For affected employees, the key issue is whether their roles fall within the restructuring and when the relevant reductions will take effect.
Apple: 147 positions listed in California notices
California layoff tracking shows notices covering a combined 147 positions at Apple locations in Cupertino and Sunnyvale, with an effective date of October 19.
These are location-specific figures derived from layoff notices, not confirmation of a company-wide reduction of 147 employees or a new global layoff announcement. Source: Layoff Tracker.
The notices are a useful reminder that large companies can make localized workforce changes without announcing a broad restructuring affecting their entire organization.
Netflix: Earlier cuts with continuing US impact
Netflix announced approximately 1,000 global job cuts in mid-October, representing around 6% of its workforce. Reported affected functions included product, technology, legal, and human resources.
The full global figure should not be mistaken for the number of US employees affected. California WARN tracking separately lists 494 positions associated with Netflix layoffs, illustrating how state notices provide a more localized view of workforce changes. Sources: Fast Company, Today's Layoffs.
For technology workers, the important lesson is that corporate restructuring can affect not only software engineers but also legal, recruiting, operations, and other professional teams.
Local US layoffs: What WARN notices reveal
National headlines tell only part of the story. State-level Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings provide additional information about planned mass layoffs and site closures.
Recent US notices and tracking reports highlight several developments:
| Employer or business | Reported positions | Location or scope |
|---|---|---|
| Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream | 803 | Laurel, Maryland; temporary layoff reported October 19 |
| eBay | 229 | San Jose-area California notice |
| Safeway | 92 | Richmond, California |
| PacificSource | 134 | Springfield, Oregon |
| Dal-Tile | 144 | Florence, Alabama |
Sources: Today's Layoffs and Quiver Quantitative's WARN tracker.
These figures represent local notices or reported impacts, not necessarily new nationwide announcements made during October 19–24. Temporary layoffs, permanent job eliminations, and closure-related notices also have different implications for employees.
Under the federal WARN Act, covered employers generally must provide 60 days' advance notice of certain plant closings and mass layoffs. State laws can impose additional requirements. A WARN filing is an important early warning, but it does not capture every individual job loss or every company restructuring.
Employees concerned about a possible layoff should check their state's labor department website and review any notice relevant to their employer and work location.
Why are US companies cutting jobs?
Several overlapping forces help explain the current wave of workforce reductions.
1. Corporate restructuring and cost control
Companies are reviewing organizational layers, eliminating duplicated responsibilities, and reallocating budgets.
eBay's plan to simplify its organization and American Express's focus on efficiency illustrate how employers may reduce headcount while continuing to invest in other parts of the business.
2. Artificial intelligence and automation
AI is changing how companies approach customer service, data analysis, software development, internal administration, and routine decision-making.
Kroger's restructuring plans explicitly include greater use of AI and technology. However, it would be inaccurate to attribute every layoff to AI. Employers also cut jobs because of mergers, changing demand, management decisions, or shifts in investment priorities.
For workers, the practical response is to learn how AI tools apply to their field while building judgment, communication, problem-solving, and domain expertise that complement automation.
3. Shifting business priorities
Companies often redirect resources toward faster-growing products, customer groups, or technologies.
This can result in reductions in established departments even when a company's overall business remains viable. Workers should therefore pay attention to changes in strategy, not just financial results.
4. Management simplification
Uber's previously announced cuts illustrate how companies may remove management layers and consolidate teams to accelerate decisions.
Roles centered on coordination, reporting, or overlapping management responsibilities can be exposed when organizations redesign how work gets done.
Which workers may be most exposed?
Layoffs do not affect every profession equally, and no role is completely immune. Nevertheless, the developments above suggest several areas worth monitoring.
Corporate administration: Companies seeking to reduce duplicated work may review administrative and coordination functions.
Human resources and recruiting: Changes in hiring volumes and organizational structure can affect staffing needs.
Technology and product teams: Employers may consolidate teams or redirect engineering resources toward strategic priorities.
Management and middle management: Organizational simplification can reduce the number of reporting layers.
Finance and operations: Automation and process redesign may change the number of people needed for routine tasks.
These are risk areas to monitor, not a prediction that every worker in these professions will lose their job.
What should you do if your company announces layoffs?
If you have been affected—or believe your position could be at risk—taking practical steps early can make the transition more manageable.
Update your resume immediately
Document your accomplishments while you still have access to performance records and project details. Emphasize measurable outcomes, relevant skills, and the value you delivered.
For example, describe how you reduced processing time, improved customer retention, managed a budget, or increased revenue rather than simply listing your responsibilities.
Start networking before you need a new job
Reconnect with former colleagues, managers, professional associations, and recruiters. Let people know the types of roles you are targeting.
Referrals and professional relationships can help you identify opportunities before they become widely advertised.
Review severance and benefits
Read your severance agreement carefully and pay attention to payment terms, benefits continuation, unused leave, confidentiality clauses, and any deadlines.
Consider consulting an employment attorney if you have questions about your rights or the agreement's terms. Eligibility for unemployment benefits varies by state and individual circumstances, so check your state's official unemployment agency promptly.
Target employers with relevant openings
Do not assume that every company in a sector is reducing staff. Look for active vacancies that match your experience, and verify that a role is still open before investing substantial time in an application.
Job seekers can use JobAdvisor.link to continue following employment news and career opportunities.
Invest in transferable skills
Prioritize skills that are valuable across employers, including data literacy, project management, customer communication, industry-specific expertise, and the effective use of AI tools.
Choose training based on the requirements of the jobs you actually want rather than pursuing certifications without a clear purpose.
What this week's layoffs mean for the US job market
The latest announcements point to a labor market in which employers are continuing to reshape their organizations while concentrating resources on selected priorities.
American Express is pursuing efficiency despite reporting strong profits. eBay is reorganizing around strategic growth areas. Kroger's longer-term plan highlights how technology and organizational redesign can affect corporate employment. Uber's earlier announcement shows how the transition toward autonomous transportation can influence workforce planning.
These developments do not, by themselves, prove that the entire US labor market is collapsing. Nor do they establish that AI is responsible for every job cut.
For workers, the more useful takeaway is to stay informed, monitor employers' official announcements and local WARN notices, and prepare for career transitions before they become urgent.
The week of October 19–24 brings another reminder that employment security depends on more than a company's size or profitability. Business priorities, technology adoption, management decisions, and restructuring plans can all affect individual careers.
For professionals navigating this environment, preparation is the best defense: keep your resume current, maintain your network, develop relevant skills, and pay attention to credible information about your industry.
Follow JobAdvisor.link for ongoing layoff updates, workforce trends, and practical career advice to help you make better-informed employment decisions.
Editorial note: This roundup reflects publicly available reporting and layoff notices checked on October 24, 2026. Company-wide plans, local WARN notices, and earlier announcements are identified separately where possible. Figures and implementation dates may change as companies release further details. The list covers major developments identified in the available reporting; it should not be interpreted as an exhaustive list of every US layoff announced during the week.