Laid off from KPMG.
KPMG's cuts have reached where Big 4 cuts almost never go, the partnership itself. Ten percent of U.S. audit partners were separated in one action, alongside staff trims and a full exit from federal audit work.
At a glance
What's been reported about KPMG severance packages
- About 10%, roughly 100 · U.S. audit partners separated
- About 4%, roughly 400 roles · U.S. advisory trim
- About 450 professionals affected · Federal audit exit
- About 330 roles, 4% · November 2024 audit staff cut
The latest
Partner-level cuts and a federal business exit
KPMG separated about 10% of its U.S. audit partners, roughly 100 people, through layoffs and early retirements, while trimming about 4% of its U.S. advisory workforce and exiting its federal government audit business, which affected about 450 professionals.
Previous rounds
How KPMG has handled layoffs in the past
KPMG's reductions started where everyone's did, staff level, for the same stated reason as PwC's, unusually low voluntary turnover leaving an oversupply. The November 2024 audit cut of about 330 followed the industry script. What came next didn't. Separating roughly 10% of U.S. audit partners, the owners of the firm, through forced exits and early retirements, is the strongest cost signal a partnership can send, because partners cutting partners means the per-partner profit math stopped working.
The exit from federal government audit work, affecting about 450 professionals, rhymes with Deloitte's story, Washington-dependent revenue turning from an annuity into a risk. Between the partner cuts, the advisory trim, and the federal exit, KPMG compressed what most firms would spread across years into one restructuring push.
None of it came with published terms, and partner separations live in partnership agreements rather than anything resembling employee severance. For staff, the practical takeaways mirror the rest of the Big 4. Low firm-wide attrition has been the strongest predictor of formal cuts, and business lines dependent on a single client, especially the government, carry concentrated risk the firm's size doesn't diversify away.
Recent KPMG layoffs
2025 into 2026 · About 10% of U.S. audit partners separated via layoffs and early retirement, a ~4% advisory trim, and the federal government audit exit affecting ~450
Terms not published. Partner separations ran through equity buyout and early-retirement structures rather than employee severance.
November 2024 · About 330 U.S. audit staff, nearly 4% of that workforce, attributed to unusually low voluntary turnover
Terms not published.
Quick answers
Is KPMG cutting partners as well as staff?
Yes. About 10% of U.S. audit partners, roughly 100 people, were separated through layoffs and early retirements, alongside a ~4% advisory staff trim and about 450 roles affected by the firm's exit from federal government audit work. Partner-level cuts at that scale are rare in the Big 4.
What severance does KPMG pay?
KPMG hasn't published terms. Staff separations run through individual agreements, and partner exits run through partnership equity and retirement structures that aren't public. Your own paperwork is the only reliable version.
What severance has KPMG given laid-off employees?
About 10%, roughly 100 (u.s. audit partners separated). Packages change between rounds, and your separation agreement is the only version that counts.
Where do I file for unemployment after a KPMG layoff?
In the state where you worked, not where the company is headquartered. KPMG's biggest U.S. hubs are New York, New Jersey, Texas. 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?
Not on the spot. 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 KPMG?
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.
Help for people recently laid off from KPMG
- File for unemployment in the state where you worked. Benefits run from your filing date, and severance usually doesn't block you. KPMG's biggest hubs: New York, New Jersey, Texas. Somewhere else? Every state is here.
- Don't sign the severance agreement on the spot. Find out in writing how long you have to review it. 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.
- 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.
- Get your real runway number. Severance plus savings divided by reality. The calculator takes five minutes.
- 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.