2025 is shaping up as one of the worst years for big-company bankruptcies since 2010, with tariffs and still-high costs squeezing manufacturers and consumer brands at the same time. During the year, Oregonians felt that wave as the bankruptcies turned into local closures.
S&P Shows Corporate Bankruptcies Set To Hit 15-Year High
In November, Reuters reported that large U.S. corporate bankruptcies are likely to hit their highest level in 15 years, according to S&P Global data. By October, 655 had been filed this year, compared with 687 for all of 2024.
This included 68 filings in October and 76 in August, the highest monthly count since at least 2020.
The full effect of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies remains uncertain, but businesses are already feeling the strain from rising input costs, sticky inflation, and a faltering labor market that is pushing up prices. Lower-income consumers continue to be hardest hit…