Tech layoffs in 2026 are running ahead of last year's pace, according to Crunchbase's Tech Layoff Tracker. From January through August, U.S. tech employers cut at least 94,046 jobs, a 16.8% increase from 80,486 in the same period of 2025. The cuts came in sharp bursts rather than a steady stream: after a quiet December, January saw over 20,000 layoffs, and May was the heaviest month with 31,513, including Meta's 8,000-job reduction. Since then, monthly totals have declined, with August at 2,347, though it is too early to call a lasting reversal.
Artificial intelligence has become a much more common explanation for the cuts. Roger Lee, founder of Layoffs.fyi, said AI was cited in 33% of tech layoff events this year, up from just 1% in 2024, and his tracker attributes 72% of global layoffs to AI. Lee noted there is little evidence that AI is actually replacing the work of the people let go; instead, established companies appear to be spending heavily on AI while cutting costs elsewhere, hoping to boost productivity with smaller workforces.
Big public companies dominate the numbers, making up about 87% of all layoffs in 2026, similar to last year's 85%. Amazon led with 17,388 cuts, followed by Meta with 10,400, then Microsoft and PayPal. Andrew Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas said AI is affecting jobs in two ways: some work, like coding, can now be done with fewer people, and companies are shifting priorities by cutting teams in some areas while hiring in AI-focused ones. He also pointed to a possible upside: if AI makes software cheaper to build, companies outside tech might create new jobs, though it is too early to know if those will offset the losses.