February layoffs up 245% from January; highest since 2020, outplacement firm says
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — We all know that DOGE is cutting thousands of federal jobs. It's impacting the nation's employment figures, but it isn't the whole story.
U.S. employers announced over 170,000 layoffs for February, an increase of 245% since January. Only a third of the layoffs are DOGE cuts. We haven't seen layoff numbers that high since the early months of COVID.
News 4 visited a local job fair to take the temperature of employers and job seekers as our economy hits some turbulence.
'There are a plethora of opportunities and jobs, but we have to be willing to go out there and seek them,' Metro Tech CEO and Supt. Aaron Collins said.
About 50 employers were at Metro Tech Springlake Campuses career fair on Thursday. Collins is also on the Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board and he said work is needed everywhere.
'Welders, construction, plumbers, auto body, automotive mechanics, nurses,' Collins said.
'The job search has been challenging,' job seeker Bryan Johnson said.
Those seeking the work are not brimming with such confidence though.
More cuts planned at Veterans Affairs
'Uncertain. Very shaky,' Johnson said on his view of the job market.
Johnson has a bachelors and masters degree in mechanical engineering. He was laid off from UPS last fall and for the past five months he's been working as a Lyft driver and at Remington Park to make ends meet.
'Keeping a good attitude and just every day just waking up in the morning and just improve myself,' Johnson said.
'It's kind of hard trying to get people to get back to me,' Metro Tech culinary student Joseph Tryial said.
Tryial is an 18-year-old student at Metro Tech who is also seeking work. He's hoping to land something before his may graduation.
'I want to start small, you know, build up my experience,' Tryial said.
With layoffs in February up 245% from the month before, job seekers know the competition may increase. That's despite Oklahoma numbers that show about 103,000 job openings compared to over 50,000 unemployed people.
State job openings and labor turnover data for January of this year are set to be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 20. National data will be released on March 11.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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