New cases of COVID-19 registered in Ukraine.

In March, American employers announced the third highest number of layoffs in history, as Elon Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) continued efforts to reduce federal personnel, new data shows.

According to the monthly report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employers announced 275,240 layoffs in March, which is 60% more than the previous month, when 172,017 layoffs were announced.

The number of layoffs last month increased by 205% compared to March 2024, when the highest monthly figure was recorded.

'Layoff announcements were predominantly related to the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) plans to eliminate positions in the federal government. Otherwise, the month would have been quite calm regarding layoffs,' said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president and workplace expert at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

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In the last two months, DOGE layoffs have been associated with a decrease in the number of federal employees and contractors across 27 agencies – a total of 280,253. An additional 4,429 layoffs were also announced due to reduced federal assistance and contract terminations, primarily in non-profit organizations and medical establishments.

The number of layoffs announced in March is the third highest in history in the data series, surpassing only the massive layoffs announced at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, when 671,129 layoffs were recorded in April 2020, and 397,016 in May 2020.

Challenger began releasing layoff plans in 1989.