Just a day after payroll provider ADP indicated a positive twist in private payroll figures in the United States, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc has flipped the script back to its disappointing status quo. As per recent data provided by it, US companies dealt out the most layoffs for an October last month by firing about 153,074 employees, marking a 183% rise from September (54,064). Not only did it bring the numbers 175% higher than what they were during the same month in 2024 (55,597 cuts), they were also the highest one recorded for an October since 2003, when 171,874 job cuts were reported.