The global technology sector has seen 78,557 job cuts since January, with March the most severe month to date, according to an analysis compiled from multiple sources including TrueUp, TechCrunch and state (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notificatio) WARN databases by RationalFX.
The tally places the industry on track to match some of the heavier years of the post‑pandemic correction, as firms continue to restructure amid automation and AI adoption.
January began with more than 27,000 redundancies as major companies accelerated restructuring plans. March accounted for over 33,000 job losses, the highest single‑month total so far in 2026. Taken together, the cuts reflect a multi‑year adjustment after pandemic‑era expansion, with companies pursuing cost discipline and reorganising teams around automation and AI‑assisted workflows.
The United States accounted for roughly 76.7% of the global total, with 59,510 layoffs across 54 US‑based companies. Enterprise software firm Oracle led the list with an estimated 25,254 job cuts announced since the start of the year, followed by Amazon with about 16,000 reductions. Oracle’s reductions span employees in the United States, India, Canada and Mexico and are reportedly tied to a push into AI infrastructure.
Other notable announcements include Meta, which cut roughly 2,200 roles and extended reductions beyond earlier rounds, and Block, which has eliminated about 4,000 positions linked to automation. Semiconductor and hardware makers also featured prominently: ams OSRAM said it would cut about 2,000 jobs, Ericsson plans around 1,900 reductions largely in Sweden, and ASML confirmed roughly 1,700 job eliminations in the Netherlands and the United States.
Regional impacts vary. Australia has recorded approximately 4,450 job losses, with WiseTech Global, Atlassian and Telstra accounting for the bulk of reductions.
Europe reported significant cuts in Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands among others, while Asia recorded about 4,580 layoffs, led by India, Israel and Singapore. Austin, Texas, emerged as a focal point in the US, with 25,284 employees affected largely because of Oracle’s relocations and subsequent reductions.
The analysis indicates that nearly half of the layoffs recorded in 2026 — about 38,279 roles — have been linked to AI adoption, automation or restructuring tied to these technologies. In some cases, firms report reinvesting savings in AI infrastructure even as they disclose large workforce reductions.
RationalFX’s projections suggest that if current trends persist, total tech job cuts could reach 318,592 by year‑end, exceeding 2025’s reported total.
The data also show a shift in hiring demand toward AI and machine‑learning specialists even as overall tech employment contracts, underscoring a rebalancing of skills within the sector.
