The job market’s volatility has resulted in a marked increase in CEO departures across the United States, with California leading the nation in executive turnover. A report from workplace consultants Challenger, Gray & Christmas reveals that during the first nine months of 2025, a total of 1,650 CEOs exited their positions nationwide. This trend highlights the economic challenges businesses face in an unstable environment.
In California alone, 194 CEOs left their roles in the same period, making it the state with the highest turnover rate. Following California are Texas, with 132 departures, and North Carolina, which saw 102 exits. This data underscores the significant impact of California’s economy, which is the largest in the nation, employing approximately 18 million people—about 11% of the total U.S. workforce.
The number of CEOs departing from their positions in 2025 reflects a broader trend over the past two years. The figure for this year is slightly lower than the 1,652 CEOs who left their posts in the same timeframe last year. However, it represents a significant increase compared to the nine-year average of 1,004 chief executives departing during this period. This translates to a substantial 64% increase in executive turnover, indicating a more volatile corporate environment.
California’s high turnover rate is proportional to its economic influence, constituting 12% of the total CEO departures in the country. Despite being at the forefront, the state experienced only a modest increase of five departures compared to the previous year. Notably, Texas recorded the largest rise in CEO exits, with an increase of 28, followed by Georgia with an increase of 24, and Indiana, which saw an increase of 18. In contrast, Massachusetts experienced the most significant decline, with 26 fewer CEOs leaving their positions.
The dynamics of CEO turnover align with broader economic trends and industry-specific challenges that vary across regions. California also holds a significant share of announced layoffs, affecting 158,700 workers in the first ten months of 2025. This number represents the second-largest number of job cuts nationwide, accounting for 14% of the 1.1 million total U.S. layoffs reported.
The state with the highest number of layoffs is Washington, D.C., which saw 303,800 job cuts. Following California, New York reported 81,701 layoffs, while Georgia and Washington state recorded 78,049 and 77,700 layoffs, respectively. In comparison, Texas ranked seventh with 46,400 planned layoffs, and Florida ranked ninth with 22,800 planned layoffs.
The number of planned layoffs in California has increased by 16% compared to last year, while nationwide layoffs increased by 4%. This data illustrates significant regional variations in how economic downturns impact businesses and their responses to these challenges.
The rise in CEO departures and layoffs highlights the uncertain climate that businesses are navigating in 2025. As companies reassess their leadership and workforce strategies, the ongoing economic pressures will likely continue to shape the landscape of executive turnover in the coming months.
