Big Tech Layoffs 2026: Over 142,000 Jobs Cut and Counting

In Focus

• 142,000+ tech workers laid off in 2026 before the year hits halfway
• Meta, Cisco, LinkedIn, and Cloudflare among the biggest contributors
• AI spending is driving several of the largest cuts this year

The big tech layoffs 2026 wave has crossed 142,000 job cuts before the year hits the halfway mark. According to data from Trueup, over 138,900 workers were let go between January and mid-May. That is already moving faster than 2025, which saw 245,000 total cuts across the full year. This roundup covers every major cut of 2026, month by month.

Which Companies Announced Layoffs in 2026?

The 2026 tech layoffs span social media, cloud, payments, gaming, and enterprise software. No single sector has been spared. Below is a full breakdown of every major company that announced layoffs this year, organized by month.

May 2026

1. Meta Laid Off 8,000 Employees

Meta began cutting around 8,000 employees in May, which is 10% of its total workforce. The company also closed 6,000 open roles to free up budget for AI. This comes after a March round that cut around 700 workers from Reality Labs, social media, and recruiting. Read our full report on Meta layoffs 2026.

2. Cisco Cut Nearly 4,000 Jobs

Cisco is cutting nearly 4,000 jobs in Q4. CEO Chuck Robbins said the company is putting money into silicon, optics, security, and AI. “While we are reducing roles in some areas, we are making clear, strategic investments — particularly in silicon, optics, security, and in our employees’ use of AI across the company,” Robbins said. Workers who are let go will receive pro-rated bonuses and job placement support.

3. LinkedIn Let Go of 875 Employees

LinkedIn is laying off around 875 employees, which is about 5% of its staff. Reuters reports the reason is to reorganize teams around areas where the business is growing. One source told Reuters the cuts were “not for artificial intelligence to replace jobs at LinkedIn.”

4. Cloudflare Cut Over 1,100 Employees

Cloudflare cut more than 1,100 employees as part of an AI workforce reduction push. The company said the move is about how it operates in an AI-driven world, not about cutting costs. Co-CEOs Matthew Prince and Michelle Zatlyn said in an email to staff: “Today’s actions are not a cost-cutting exercise or an assessment of individuals’ performance; They are about Cloudflare defining how a world-class, high-growth company operates and creates value in the agentic AI era.” See our report on Cloudflare layoffs 2026.

5. PayPal Plans to Cut 4,800 Employees

PayPal plans to cut nearly 4,800 employees, around 20% of its workforce, over the next few years. CEO Enrique Lores told investors: “First, we will remove duplication and layers from our organizational structure. Second, we will accelerate our AI adoption and automation across our operations.”

6. Coinbase Laid Off 14% of Its Staff

Coinbase laid off 700 employees, around 14% of its staff. CEO Brian Armstrong pointed to market conditions and AI-driven layoffs changing how the company works as the two main reasons.

7. General Motors Cut Up to 600 IT Workers

GM cut between 500 and 600 workers from its IT division. The company said the goal is to reduce costs and bring in staff with skills in newer technology areas.

8. Amazon Cut 14,000 Employees

Amazon made fresh cuts from its Selling Partner Services team, which helps third-party merchants with onboarding, logistics, and account management. These follow around 30,000 cuts Amazon made in October and January.

April 2026

9. Microsoft Offered Buyouts to 7% of Its Workforce

Microsoft offered a voluntary buyout to employees at senior director level and below for the first time. The program covered up to 7% of its workforce, with eligibility based on a combined age and years of service threshold of 70 or above.

10. Nike Cut 1,400 Roles in Technology

Nike cut 1,400 roles, most of them in technology. COO Venkatesh Alagirisamy said: “Collectively, these changes will result in a reduction of approximately 1,400 roles in global operations, with the majority in technology.”

11. Snap Laid Off 16% of Its Staff

Snap laid off 1,000 workers, 16% of its staff. The cuts came weeks after an investor pushed the company to improve its performance. CEO Evan Spiegel said the smaller team would use AI tools to keep output going. Full details are in our Snap layoffs report.

March 2026

12. Oracle Cut Thousands in Late March

Oracle began a large round of cuts in late March, expected to run into the thousands. All affected employees received the same email citing a broader organizational change. The cuts are linked to managing costs from Oracle’s AI infrastructure spending. Read more in our Oracle layoffs 2026 report.

13. Atlassian Laid Off 1,600 Employees

Atlassian cut around 1,600 employees, roughly 10% of its staff, as part of an AI workforce reduction plan. CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said the reason was to “self-fund further investment in AI and enterprise sales, while strengthening our financial profile.”

14. Epic Games Cut Over 1,000 Workers

Epic Games cut more than 1,000 workers due to falling Fortnite revenue. CEO Tim Sweeney was clear that the decision had nothing to do with AI-driven layoffs. “We’re spending significantly more than we’re making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded,” he said.

15. Redwood Materials Cut 10% of Its Workforce

Redwood Materials cut 10% of its workforce, totaling 135 employees. Staff were told the changes were made to sharpen focus and align team size with where the company is headed. More details are in our Redwood Materials layoffs report.

16. Cognizant Laid Off Up to 15,000 Employees

Cognizant cut staff as part of its Project Leap initiative, with AI workforce reduction and operational changes cited as the core driver. Read the full story in our Cognizant layoffs 2026 report.

How These Layoffs Are Hitting Enterprise Clients

Support teams at Cisco, LinkedIn, Cloudflare, and PayPal are now smaller than a year ago. For enterprise clients, that means fewer people handling accounts, onboarding, and day-to-day issues. The service experience across these platforms is changing, whether buyers are aware of it or not.

The reason behind each cut also matters. Companies like Meta, Atlassian, and Cloudflare are cutting to fund AI. That is a long-term structural shift. Others like Epic Games are cutting because revenue has dropped. Those are two very different vendor risk profiles. According to Yahoo Tech, the big tech layoffs 2026 total is already on track to approach last year’s full-year number well before December. For B2B teams renewing contracts or evaluating new vendors, knowing who is cutting and why is no longer just industry news. It is due diligence.