Tech layoffs in 2026 are outpacing last year’s pace, with U.S. tech job cuts reaching at least 94,046 from January through August—up 16.8% from 80,486 in the same period of 2025. Layoffs began the year sharply, surging to over 20,000 in January after a December 2025 dip to 5,151. May was especially severe, recording 31,513 layoffs—the highest monthly total since March 2023—driven by Meta’s 8,000-job reduction.

After May, layoffs declined each month, falling to 2,347 in August, with June-August 2026 totals down 16.2% year over year. AI has become a dominant factor, cited in 33% of layoff events this year versus just 1% in 2024. Roger Lee of Layoffs.fyi attributes 92,913 global layoffs (72% of this year’s total) to AI, though he notes little evidence AI is directly replacing human work.

Instead, companies are cutting costs elsewhere to fund AI investments. Public tech companies accounted for about 87% of layoffs, led by Amazon (17,388 cuts) and Meta (10,400, including an 8,000-job May reduction). Microsoft, PayPal, Block, Cisco, and Cognizant each cut around 4,000–4,800 workers.

Among private firms, Epic Games disclosed 1,000 layoffs, followed by UKG (950) and My Heritage (500). Uber reportedly laid off 3,300 workers in early September. Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas notes AI is both replacing certain roles—like coding—and shifting corporate priorities toward AI-driven productivity.