[The number of planned layoffs by U.S. companies so far in 2026 has dropped to a four-year low] September 3 (Xinhua) The number of planned layoffs by U.S. companies in the first eight months of this year has dropped to a four-year low, further showing that companies are still unwilling to reduce the size of their workforce. Data released Thursday by career transition consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. showed that companies have announced 529,914 layoffs so far this year, the lowest number for the same period since 2022, when post-pandemic labor demand remains strong. At the same time, the hiring plans announced by companies in the first eight months of this year are the highest for the same period since 2023. Andy Challenger, the company's chief revenue officer, said: "While there are fewer layoffs, we expect to see an increase in hiring activity. According to our data, although companies plan to hire more people than last year, these positions do not appear to be filled quickly." Many economists still describe the U.S. job market as a "low hiring, low layoff" state that has continued in recent years, and weekly unemployment claims data show little sign of large-scale layoffs. The U.S. government will release its monthly employment report on Friday, with the unemployment rate expected to remain unchanged at 4.1% in August.