Retail job cuts rose 20% in January, and more are on the way

The data: Retailers cut 6,419 jobs in January, a nearly 20% increase from a year earlier, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The context: The data comes on the heels of a year in which retailers took a cautious approach to staffing.

  • Last year saw just 41,686 layoffs, down 47% YoY, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas’ December report.