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Indicator detail
Layoffs and Discharges Rate · FRED · Data through 2026-05-01
What this number means
The share of workers laid off or discharged by employers.
It helps separate a healthy slowdown from a labor market where employers are actively cutting staff.
Higher layoffs are generally a warning sign.
Time series
FRED · monthly · Percent
Historical context
Current value is in the 48th percentile of observations across 11 years, which is near the middle of its history.
The share of workers laid off or discharged by employers. It helps separate a healthy slowdown from a labor market where employers are actively cutting staff. Bureau of Labor Statistics layoffs and discharges rate from JOLTS, republished by FRED.
Use this definition with the source notes and methodology shown on this page.
Breakdowns
These sections only appear when Labor Pulse has a verified source series for the selected metric. Unsupported cuts are left out instead of estimated.
Industry breakdown
Use this view to compare where payroll employment is concentrated and how major sectors have moved over time. These are job counts by industry, so they should not be read as unique workers.
Showing all 3 available comparison lines.
Seasonal adjustment note: Not seasonally adjusted, Seasonally adjusted.
10-year comparison history
Source: FRED series listed in the table below. Lines use one shared y axis, so levels can be compared directly.
| Segment | Current | As of | Source | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ConstructionLayoffs and discharges rate | 1.4% | 2026-05-01 | FRED JTU2300LDR | Some JOLTS industry layoff rates are not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month movement can be noisier than the headline rate. |
| ManufacturingLayoffs and discharges rate | 0.6% | 2026-05-01 | FRED JTU3000LDR | Some JOLTS industry layoff rates are not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month movement can be noisier than the headline rate. |
| GovernmentLayoffs and discharges rate | 0.4% | 2026-05-01 | FRED JTS9000LDR | Some JOLTS industry layoff rates are not seasonally adjusted, so month-to-month movement can be noisier than the headline rate. |
Use in research
Labor Pulse Research. “Layoffs and Discharges Rate.” Labor Pulse. Dialed Intelligence LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2026, from https://labor-pulse.vercel.app/indicators/JTSLDR. Data source: BLS JOLTS via FRED.
Cite the original publisher when referring to the underlying data. Use this citation for the Labor Pulse presentation and interpretation.