Citigroup Layoffs 2026: What to Do If You Were Laid Off or Expect More Cuts

The news can be unsettling. Learning that a role is being eliminated is disorienting, and even those still employed may feel weighed down by uncertainty as further cuts approach.

This article walks through what’s happening, outlines practical options, and offers grounded guidance for navigating the next phase. There’s no urgency or pressure here, just support to help you steady yourself and move forward in a way that feels right for you.

What's Happening at Citigroup

Citigroup is in the middle of a significant restructuring. In January 2026, the bank eliminated roughly 1,000 positions across various business lines and regions. This is part of a larger transformation that CEO Jane Fraser has been leading to simplify the organization, reduce costs, and improve profitability.

The January cuts are not the end. Citi has announced plans to reduce its global workforce from the mid-200,000s to approximately 180,000 employees by the end of 2026, a reduction of roughly 20,000 roles over the multi-year restructuring period. According to industry reports, additional layoffs are expected in March 2026, with these cuts likely focusing heavily on managing directors and senior employees across multiple business lines.

Reports suggest the March cuts may be announced after bonuses are paid, which has created additional anxiety for employees trying to understand their status.

Citi's leadership has framed these reductions as necessary to modernize the bank, streamline operations, and invest in technology and AI capabilities. For the people affected, the strategic rationale doesn't make the personal impact any easier.

First, Take Care of Yourself

Before diving into logistics, give yourself permission to feel whatever you're feeling.

Shock, anger, fear, relief, numbness, or some combination of all of these are normal reactions. You've just received significant news about your livelihood, and your body and mind need time to process it.

A few grounding suggestions:

• Talk to someone you trust. A partner, friend, former colleague, or family member who can listen without immediately trying to fix things.
• Don't rush to sign anything. Unless there's a genuine deadline (and even then, verify it), you typically have time to review your severance documents. Take at least a day or two before making decisions.
• Avoid major announcements immediately. You don't need to update LinkedIn or send messages to your network in the first 48 hours. Give yourself space to process before you communicate publicly.
• Take care of basics. Sleep, eat, move. These sound obvious, but stress can make people forget fundamentals.

This phase is about stabilizing, not optimizing. You don't have to figure out your next career move this week.

If You Were Already Laid Off in January

If you've received your layoff notice and are now navigating the transition, here are practical steps to consider.

Review your severance package carefully:

Your severance agreement likely includes details about your final pay, bonus treatment, benefits continuation, equity vesting, and any restrictive covenants (non-compete, non-solicitation, confidentiality). Read it thoroughly before signing.

If anything feels unclear or seems inconsistent with what you were told verbally, consider having a professional review it. An employment lawyer familiar with financial services can help you understand your rights and whether the package is in line with market standards. For general background on layoff rights, this overview from Samfiru Tumarkin provides useful context.

Understand your timelines:

• Health benefits: Know when your coverage ends and what your COBRA or continuation options are. This is often time-sensitive.
• Equity and stock options: Review vesting schedules and exercise windows. Some options may expire shortly after your termination date.
• Restricted stock: Understand what happens to unvested RSUs and any accelerated vesting provisions in your agreement.
• Garden leave or notice period: If applicable, clarify what you can and cannot do during this time.

Consider professional guidance:

• An employment lawyer if your package seems below market or if you have concerns about restrictive covenants.
• A financial planner if you're uncertain about your runway or how to manage the transition financially.
• A tax advisor if you have significant equity or deferred compensation that may be affected.

When you're ready, update your resume:

There's no rush, but at some point you'll want to capture your achievements while they're fresh. If you haven't updated your resume in years, the process can feel overwhelming. Yotru offers a low-pressure starting point: upload your existing resume, get feedback on how it reads to recruiters and applicant tracking systems, and see specific suggestions for translating your Citi experience into language that resonates outside the bank.

If You're Worried About March Cuts

If you're still employed at Citi but anxious about the expected March layoffs, the uncertainty can be exhausting. You're showing up to work while wondering if your role will exist next month.

Here's what you can do now, before anything happens:

Quietly update your resume and LinkedIn:

While you still have access to your performance reviews, deal data, and internal systems, capture the numbers and achievements that demonstrate your impact. It's much harder to reconstruct this information after you've lost access.

You don't need to make your LinkedIn profile scream "open to work." Subtle updates, like refreshing your summary, adding recent projects, or ensuring your skills section is current, position you without signaling desperation.

Map your experience:

Write down your business line, region, seniority level, and the specific skills you've developed. Are you in capital markets, risk, technology, operations, compliance, wealth management? What's your specialty within that? This clarity helps you identify both internal and external options.

Consider internal vs. external paths:

• Internal: Are there roles in other Citi divisions or regions that might be hiring? Even during restructuring, some areas grow while others contract.
• External: Other global and regional banks, fintechs, asset managers, consulting firms, and corporate finance departments all hire people with your background.

Build a small network of trusted contacts:

Identify 5-10 people, former colleagues, mentors, industry contacts, who you could reach out to if your situation changes. You don't need to ask them for jobs right now. Just nurture those relationships so the connection feels natural if you need it later.

Preparing is not disloyal:

Citi's leadership has publicly communicated a multi-year restructuring affecting tens of thousands of roles. Preparing for the possibility that your position could be affected is basic risk management, not disloyalty. The bank is managing its risks; you should manage yours.

How Your Citigroup Experience Translates Outside

If you've spent years at Citi, you may not realize how valuable your experience is to other organizations. The skills you've developed are in demand, but the language you use to describe them may need translation.

Where Citi alumni commonly land:

• Other global and regional banks: Your institutional knowledge of complex organizations, regulatory environments, and large-scale operations transfers directly.
• Fintechs and payments companies: They value people who understand how traditional banking works and can help them navigate it.
• Consulting and advisory firms: Your client-facing experience and subject matter expertise are assets.
• Corporate finance, treasury, and risk functions: Companies in every industry need people who understand capital markets, risk management, and financial operations.

Translating Citi-specific language into market-ready resume statements:

• Managed ICG client relationships across EMEA → Led institutional client coverage across European markets, managing $X billion in annual transaction volume.
• Supported TTS cash management solutions → Developed treasury and payment solutions for multinational corporate clients.
• Drove P&L accountability for rates desk → Managed trading desk profitability with direct responsibility for $X million in annual revenue.

How Yotru Can Help

When you're ready to work on your resume, Yotru is one practical tool that can help. With Yotru, you can:

• Upload your existing resume and get an ATS-aware score that shows how your resume performs against applicant tracking systems.
• See specific suggestions for reframing your Citi experience for new roles and sectors.
• Explore resume examples and guidance for people transitioning out of large institutions into more agile environments.

This isn't about pressure or urgency. If you're not ready yet, bookmark Yotru for when you are. The tool will be there when you need it.

For broader guidance on navigating layoffs and career transitions, you might also find these resources helpful:

• What to Do After a Massive Layoff: A Guide for Moving Forward
• How to Upskill After a Layoff
• HR and Layoffs: Lessons for Leaders and Tools for Workers

One-Week Action Plan

Here's a gentle, realistic checklist depending on your situation.

If you were laid off in January:

• Read your severance agreement carefully; don't sign until you understand it
• Note deadlines for health benefits continuation and equity decisions
• Consider consulting an employment lawyer or financial planner if anything is unclear
• Give yourself a few days to process before making major decisions
• When ready, start capturing your achievements and updating your resume
• Reach out to 3-5 trusted contacts, not your entire network

If you're still at Citi but worried about March:

• Quietly capture your achievements, metrics, and deal data while you have system access
• Update your resume draft and refresh your LinkedIn profile (subtly)
• Map your skills and identify potential internal and external paths
• Identify 5-10 trusted contacts you could reach out to if needed
• Review your financial situation so you understand your runway
• Remember that preparing is prudent, not disloyal

A Final Word

These layoffs are part of a large structural change in banking. They are not a reflection of your individual worth, your skills, or your years of dedication to your work.

Careers are long. Many people rebuild after mass layoffs, often landing in roles that turn out to be better fits than what they had before. That doesn't make this moment any less painful, but it's worth remembering when the anxiety feels overwhelming.

You don't have to figure everything out this week. You don't have to have a perfect plan. The goal right now is simply to take the next small step, whether that's reading your severance documents, talking to a trusted friend, or bookmarking a tool to use later.

You have time. You have options. And when you're ready, there are resources and people who can help.