Tech layoffs top 73,000 in 2026 as AI drives cuts at Meta, Oracle, others

Layoffs in the tech sector are accelerating, with more than 73,000 roles already eliminated across 95 companies in 2026. The latest major firm to announce job cuts is Meta Platforms.

In comparison, total layoffs for the whole of 2025 stood at 124,201.

These figures are from Layoffs.fyi, which monitors such developments in the sector.


Artificial intelligence and automation are key drivers of this shift, with most of the culling in 2026 linked to AI-led restructuring.

Here are some of the major, most recent layoffs:

Meta to shed 8,000 jobs

Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta is reportedly preparing to cut around 8,000 jobs in one of its biggest such moves in recent years. According to Reuters, the company plans to reduce about 10% of its global workforce in the initial round.

The layoffs are expected to take place on May 20, the report said. Further cuts are also being considered for the second half of the year, although details such as the timing and scale have not yet been finalised.

Snapchat layoffs

Snapchat parent Snap Inc recently announced it will cut 1,000 jobs, roughly 16% of its full-time workforce. The company also plans to eliminate more than 300 vacant roles.

Chief executive Evan Spiegel said in an internal memo that the restructuring is aimed at improving efficiency and speeding up growth. He pointed to rapid advances in AI as a key factor, noting that such tools help reduce repetitive tasks, increase speed, and better serve users, partners, and advertisers.

Oracle

Earlier this month, Oracle announced layoffs, affecting around 30,000 roles globally. About 10,000 of these were in India.

“The company is essentially cutting roles on the tech side, since they are not seeing enough returns on their AI-led investments,” a source told ET.

The cuts also affected Oracle Financial Services Software, where about 1,000, or roughly 10% of the workforce, were let go.

Overall, the reductions account for about 20% of Oracle’s workforce in India, which stands at around 50,000. Globally, the company had 162,000 employees as of May 2025.

Atlassian layoffs

Last month, software firm Atlassian cut about 10% of its workforce, or 1,600 employees, as it shifted its focus towards AI and enterprise customers.

A Reuters report said most of those affected were in north America (40%), followed by Australia (30%), and India (16%).

Among those leaving was chief technology officer Rajeev Rajan, who stepped down on March 31.

In a memo, chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes said the company does not see AI as replacing people entirely, but acknowledged that it is changing the type of skills needed and the number of roles in certain areas.

He added, “This is primarily about adaptation. We are reshaping our skill mix and changing how we work to build for the future.”