The Layoff Club

Laid off from EY.

EY cut 3,000 US jobs in 2023 days after its $600 million plan to split the firm collapsed, then kept trimming for years, partners included. Almost none of it shows up in WARN data, which is its own story.

At a glance

What's been reported about the EY layoffs

  • 3,000 · US roles cut, April 2023, about 5%
  • $600M+ · Spent on the failed Everest split
  • About 30 · US partners cut, March 2025
  • 130 roles · New Jersey WARN filing, October 2025

Recent EY layoffs

Partner cuts and management-layer trims through 2025

EY ran one of the largest partner reductions in its recent history in March 2025, about 30 US partners, alongside restructuring that thinned manager and senior manager layers. An October 2025 New Jersey WARN filing covering 130 roles was the firm's first appearance in our filing records.

Previous rounds

EY layoff history

EY's cuts trace back to Everest, the plan to split audit from consulting that consumed more than a year and over $600 million before collapsing. Days later the firm announced 3,000 US cuts it attributed to overcapacity rather than the failed split, a framing contemporaneous coverage treated with open skepticism. The consulting teams built up for the split bore the bulk of it.

Since then the trims moved upward. 2024 thinned the advisory partner ranks, and March 2025 cut about 30 US partners at once, which in a partnership is the equivalent of executive layoffs. Through all of it EY has barely appeared in WARN data, one New Jersey filing in our records, because distributed cuts across offices rarely cross the per-site notice thresholds.

If you're affected at EY, your leverage depends on your tier. Partners exit under the partnership agreement, a buyout negotiation with its own counsel. Staff get individual agreements against unpublished terms, where the federal review windows apply and the Big Four's alumni-network rehire culture is a genuine asset worth protecting, so exit on documented good terms.

Previous EY layoff rounds

How EY has compared

Same Big Four playbook as the KPMG, PwC, and Deloitte pages in our records, partner-level trims plus staff cuts distributed under WARN thresholds. What distinguishes EY is the Everest scar, more than $600 million spent on a split that never happened, followed within days by the biggest US cut of the four.

EY layoff and severance questions

What severance does EY pay in layoffs?

EY hasn't published terms for any US round. Reporting around the 2023 cuts described modest packages with little notice. Partner separations are equity buyouts under the partnership agreement, a different mechanism entirely. Your individual agreement is the only version that counts.

Why doesn't EY show up in WARN databases?

Because its cuts are spread across many offices, they rarely cross the per-site thresholds that trigger WARN notices. One 130-role New Jersey filing in October 2025 is the firm's only appearance in our records despite thousands of cuts since 2023. Absence from WARN data doesn't mean absence of layoffs.

Are EY partners laid off too?

Partners are separated rather than laid off, since they're owners under the partnership agreement. EY cut about 30 US partners in March 2025 after thinning advisory partner ranks in 2024, exits that work as negotiated buyouts rather than severance packages.

Where do I file for unemployment after a EY layoff?

In the state where you worked, not where the company is headquartered. EY's biggest U.S. hubs are New Jersey, New York, Illinois. Severance usually doesn't block you from filing, and benefits run from your filing date, so file the same week.

Should I sign the severance agreement right away?

First pin down how much review time you actually have. If you're 40 or older, federal law gives you 21 days to consider an agreement that waives age claims, 45 in a group layoff, and a waiver signed under a shorter deadline can be invalid. If you're under 40, no federal window applies and the deadline in your packet may be real, so confirm it in writing and ask for more time if you need it. Use whatever window you have to read the release terms, especially non-disparagement and no-lawsuit clauses, and don't stall past a real deadline, because offers can be withdrawn.

Can I collect unemployment if I got severance from EY?

Usually yes, though some states delay benefits until severance pay periods end, and lump sums are treated differently than salary continuation. Check your state's rules on our state benefit pages, and file immediately either way so your claim date is locked in.

What to do after being laid off from EY

  1. File for unemployment in the state where you worked. Benefits run from your filing date, and severance usually doesn't block you. EY's biggest hubs: New Jersey, New York, Illinois. Somewhere else? Every state is here.
  2. Find out in writing how long you have to review the severance agreement. At 40 or older, federal law guarantees 21 days, 45 in group layoffs. Under 40, the packet's deadline may be real, so ask for time rather than assume. Read our severance breakdown first. The clauses matter more than the number.
  3. Mind the health insurance window. Losing coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and an ACA plan usually beats unsubsidized COBRA. Compare your options before the employer coverage lapses.
  4. Get your real runway number. Severance plus savings divided by reality. The calculator takes five minutes.
  5. Know which clocks are already running. Severance review windows, COBRA election, visa grace periods, and 401(k) rollovers all run on federal deadlines that started at termination. All five deadlines are here.