Layoffs across sectors are raising worker anxiety. These companies have recently cut jobs

"Amid wider economic uncertainty, some analysts have said that businesses are at a "no-hire, no fire" standstill. That's caused many to limit new work to only a few specific roles, if not pause openings entirely. At the same time, sizable layoffs have continued to pile up - raising worker anxieties across sectors. Some companies have pointed to rising operational costs spanning from President Donald Trump's barrage of new tariffs and shifts in consumer spending."

"The impasse put key economic data on hold, too. In a delayed report released Thursday, the Labor Department said U.S. employers added a surprising 119,000 jobs in September. But unemployment rose to 4.4% - and other troubling details emerged, including revisions showing the economy actually lost 4,000 jobs in August. There's also growing gender and racial disparities. The National Women's Law Center notes women only accounted for 21,000 of September's added jobs"

Economic uncertainty, higher operational costs, and corporate restructuring have pushed many companies into a near no-hire stance, limiting new roles or pausing openings. Some firms cite tariffs, consumer-spending shifts, and reallocation of funds toward artificial intelligence as reasons for reduced hiring. Federal workforce cuts and a 43-day government shutdown added uncertainty and disrupted economic reporting. A delayed Labor Department report showed 119,000 jobs added in September but an unemployment rise to 4.4% and revisions showing a loss of 4,000 jobs in August. Hiring gains show widening gender and racial disparities, with women and Black women especially affected.

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