Methodology

Every number on layoffhedge should survive a click on its source. This page explains the rules that keep that true: where the data comes from, how it is checked before publication, how events are categorized, and how mistakes get fixed.

Every tracker entry carries a source. We rank sources in three tiers and use the highest tier available:

1. Primary documents. WARN filings with state labor departments, SEC 8-K filings, court filings, and company statements published through investor relations or official newsrooms.
2. Verified reporting. Coverage from named outlets that confirmed the cut directly with the company or obtained the underlying documents.
3. Leaked memos and employee reports. Internal memos, all-hands recordings, and firsthand employee accounts. These run only when credible, and the entry labels them as such.

• Cross-checks. Headcounts are checked against a second reference where one exists, for example a WARN filing against the press report covering it.
• Click-through verification. Every source link is opened and confirmed working before an entry ships. A link that does not resolve does not ship.
• Primary-source preference. When a primary document exists, it replaces or supplements press coverage as the cited source.

Each event gets one category, the dominant driver as stated by the company, its filings, or its executives:

• AI-DRIVENThe company attributes the cut to AI adoption, automation, or reorganizing headcount around AI work.
• COST CUTExpense reduction is the stated driver: margins, budget shortfalls, or cash preservation, without a broader reorganization.
• RESTRUCTUREReorganizations, management delayering, site closures, and bankruptcy-driven restructurings.
• MERGERCuts tied to an acquisition, merger, or asset sale, including post-close redundancies.
• WEAK DEMANDThe company points to falling sales, order volume, or market demand.

Some pages carry a "Last verified" stamp. It is the date we last re-checked that page's figures against the master dataset and confirmed its source links still resolve. Stamps update when a page is re-verified, so the stamp date can be later than the event date.

Not every event comes with one clean number. When a company discloses a range, we show the range with the basis stated. When a total combines multiple disclosures, the math is spelled out on the company page. Example: Saks Global is listed at 1,866 jobs, which is 640 corporate cuts plus 1,200+ store-level cuts since the Jan 13 bankruptcy filing.

When a figure changes, a notice is amended, or a source turns out to be wrong, the entry is corrected on discovery and the page's dateModified is updated. Corrections can be reported to @LayoffAI on X.

The tracker is updated daily as events occur. Site-wide statistics, including totals, per-day rates, and industry rollups, are refreshed on every deploy so pages do not drift from the master dataset.

The complete 2026 dataset is free to use with attribution: cite layoffhedge.com as the source. Download it on the data page. More about the project is on the about page.