Layoffs are rising: Here’s where Americans are experiencing the most job disruption

Layoffs are rising: Here’s where Americans are experiencing the most job disruption

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock   It’s been more than five years since the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. unemployment rate seems to have settled down for the most part after an April 2020 high of nearly 15%. After the rate hovered between 3% and 4% between 2022 and 2024, it has slightly increased since the start of 2025. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics has the nationwide rate at 4.6%. December 2025 saw more bad new…