U.S.-based employers announced 32,517 cuts in June 2022, a 58.8 percent increase from 20,476 cuts announced in the same month last year, according to a new job report from  Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

June marks the highest month since February 2021, when 34,531 cuts were announced. It is the second time this year that cuts were higher in 2022 than the corresponding month a year earlier. 

Healthcare/products manufacturers and providers announced the most job cuts this year with 19,390, which is up 54 percent from the 12,620 announced through June 2021. The automotive industry posted the second-highest cuts with 15,578, a number that is up from the 6,111 cuts in the previous year. 

Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of executive search firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said the numbers demonstrate increasing economic strain. 

“Employers are beginning to respond to financial pressures and slowing demand by cutting costs. While the labor market is still tight, that tightness may begin to ease in the next few months,” Mr. Challenger said. 

Locations suffering the highest losses include California with 28,692, New York at 15,952, and Pennsylvania at 9,310.