PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the Big Four accounting firms, is laying off approximately 1,500 employees in the United States, representing about 2% of its U.S. workforce of over 75,000.
The layoffs primarily affect the audit and tax divisions and are attributed to historically low attrition rates over recent years, which have led to staffing surpluses.
The decision follows a comprehensive business review and reflects broader industry trends, as other major accounting firms like Deloitte and KPMG have also announced workforce reductions in response to economic uncertainties and changing market demands.
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Affected employees were notified earlier this week, with many receiving unexpected Microsoft Teams meeting invitations labelled “time sensitive.” Some of those laid off had recently joined the firm or were anticipating promotions, making the news particularly unexpected.
PwC has stated that it will also scale back campus hiring but will honour existing intern offers.
This move underscores the mounting pressure on professional services firms grappling with sluggish demand and unusually low staff turnover—a dynamic that has upended long-standing workforce planning models.
PwC’s recent layoffs are part of a broader trend of major corporations across various sectors implementing workforce reductions in 2025, citing reasons such as cost-cutting, AI-driven role changes, and organisational restructuring.
