Les suppressions de postes dans la tech dépassent celles de 2025 alors que les grandes entreprises réorientent leurs budgets vers l’IA

Tech sector job cuts in 2026 are running ahead of last year’s pace, though they are arriving in intense waves rather than as a steady trickle, according to data from the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker, which follows U.S. tech companies eliminating positions.

Between January and August, U.S. tech layoffs hit at least 94,046, marking a 16.8% increase compared to the 80,486 reductions recorded during the same timeframe in 2025. Unsurprisingly, a significant portion of these cuts occurred as technology firms shifted financial resources toward artificial intelligence and reorganized their operations to lower expenses.

The year began at a brisk pace for downsizing. Following a sharp drop in December 2025 down to 5,151 reductions, job cuts climbed past 20,000 in January. May proved especially severe, driving the year-to-date surge by logging 31,513 layoffs—which included Meta trimming 8,000 positions—marking the heaviest monthly total since March 2023, when reductions peaked at 36,602.

Subsequent months have pointed toward a deceleration. Reductions decreased month-over-month following May, dropping to 2,347 in August. Combined layoffs for June through August 2026 stood at 19,331, dropping 16.2% from the previous year. While this points to recent moderation, it remains premature to determine whether this trend represents a permanent shift.

Artificial intelligence has increasingly served as a justification for downsizing, according to Layoffs.fyi founder Roger Lee. AI was cited in 33% of tech reduction events this year, a sharp jump from just 1% in 2024. His tracking data links 92,913 global layoffs—accounting for 72% of the total for the year—to artificial intelligence.

“There’s been little evidence that AI is actually replacing the work of the human employees let go,” Lee stated regarding the largest AI-linked reductions this year. He suggests that established technology corporations are pouring capital into AI while paring down expenses elsewhere in hopes of boosting productivity with leaner teams.

Companies cutting

Throughout the year, major tech enterprises, publicly traded corporations, and startups alike have executed deep workforce reductions.

Nonetheless, much like the prior year, public technology firms have accounted for the majority of layoff headlines so far in 2026, spearheaded by Amazon and Meta.

“Big companies [have] made up about 87% of everyone laid off in 2026, which is similar to last year, when they made up 85%,” Lee noted.

Amazon led with 17,388 cuts through August of this year, a figure that includes a 16,000-person reduction announced in January alongside several smaller subsequent phases. Meta followed with 10,400 cuts, which featured an 8,000-worker reduction executed in May that shaved 10% off its workforce.

Microsoft and PayPal logged the next-highest totals, eliminating 4,800 and 4,760 workers, respectively. Block, Cisco, and Cognizant each implemented 4,000 cuts, trailed by Intuit at 3,000, Amdocs at 2,900, and Visa at 2,600. Notably, the top ten list covers diverse sectors including social media, cloud computing, enterprise tech, and digital payments.

Additionally, reports indicate that Oracle’s total workforce contracted by approximately 21,000 employees during its fiscal year ending May 31, 2026. However, because the exact headcount and precise timelines for those specific reductions remained ambiguous, that total was omitted from the tracker.

Among private firms in the tracker, Epic Games posted the largest disclosed total at 1,000, followed by human resources software firm UKG at 950 and MyHeritage at 500. These tallies remained considerably lower than the premier public-company downsizings, though a lack of public disclosure from many private entities makes direct comparisons difficult.

Furthermore, early September reports indicated that Uber eliminated 3,300 jobs, amounting to 10% of its personnel.

An AI focus

Andrew Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas explains that artificial intelligence is impacting employment on two fronts. Certain tasks, including software coding, can now be executed with smaller teams. “There are jobs that are literally being replaced by artificial intelligence,” he told Crunchbase News.

Simultaneously, corporate priorities are shifting. Businesses are channeling greater investments into AI while shrinking divisions dedicated to other business operations. “They’re letting people go from one area of their organization while they might even be hiring in an area that is focused on AI,” Challenger observed. This dynamic explains why a company might simultaneously announce layoffs and advertise new job openings.

Technology continues to announce more workforce reductions than any other sector this year, according to Challenger. Across the broader U.S. economy, layoffs have cooled somewhat relative to last year, though that comparison is influenced by heavy federal government job cuts in 2025. Measured against the immediate post-pandemic era—when employers scrambled to recruit staff—layoffs remain elevated.

Few industries outside of technology have blamed job reductions on artificial intelligence thus far, Challenger added.

Even so, he sees potential silver linings for software developers. If artificial intelligence drives down the cost of building software, businesses in non-tech sectors may initiate projects previously considered too expensive. This could foster new employment opportunities outside the tech industry, although it remains premature to judge whether those roles will offset the ones lost.

Meanwhile, indications suggest some organizations may be second-guessing their downsizing choices. A Business Insider report notes that Amazon is contacting eligible former personnel regarding open positions throughout the organization, spanning its cloud computing and artificial intelligence operations.

Méthodologie

Layoffs figures are from The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker, where we record reported job cuts at U.S. tech employers. The tracker includes layoffs conducted by U.S.-based companies or those with a strong U.S. presence — both privately and publicly traded — and is updated at least bi-weekly. Layoff and workforce figures are best estimates based on reporting. Actual layoff figures are likely much higher than reported as many companies do not disclose the number of jobs cut when announcing layoffs. For more about our methodology for tracking layoffs, refer to the tracker’s methodology section.

?Foire aux questions

01Why are tech layoffs increasing in 2026?

Tech layoffs are outpacing 2025 numbers largely because major companies are redirecting funds toward artificial intelligence initiatives and restructuring their operations to cut costs.

02Which companies have announced the most layoffs this year?

Public technology giants have driven the majority of cuts, led by Amazon with 17,388 reductions and Meta with 10,400 cuts through August.

03Are workers actually being replaced by AI?

While some technical tasks like coding are being completed with fewer people, industry experts note that many companies are simply reallocating capital away from non-AI divisions and into AI development rather than deploying automated replacements for every laid-off worker.

Related reading:

• The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker

Illustration : Dom Guzman