Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

What Fashion Gets Wrong About Layoffs

From knee-jerk, across-the-board cuts to sloppy communication and a lack of future direction, there are plenty of ways companies can make a tough moment even worse.

Through October, US retailers cut over 88,000 jobs, a 145 percent increase from the same period in 2024. (Getty Images)

Sheena Butler-Young

24 November 2025

BoF PROFESSIONAL

Retail’s peak layoff season is in full swing — and it’s shaping up to be far worse than years past. Through October, US retailers cut over 88,000 jobs, a 145 percent increase from the same period in 2024, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which helps companies navigate layoffs.

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It’s Time for Fashion to Get Real About AI’s Impact on Jobs

Fashion brands are racing to deploy AI in marketing, design and employee workflows. But inside companies, a lack of clarity is breeding layoff anxiety — and quiet AI use that feels risky, if not like cheating.

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Tariffs, AI fears and shaky economics have slowed hiring but there are ways talent and brands can find opportunity in the standstill.

The End of Teen Vogue Completes Fashion Media’s Retreat From Politics

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About the author

Sheena Butler-Young

Sheena Butler-Young is Senior Correspondent at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and covers workplace, talent and issues surrounding diversity and inclusion.

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