More than 81,200 employees have been laid off by 97 tech firms so far in 2026, according to layoffs.fyi, an independent real-time tracker of job losses in the tech and startup sectors across the world.
The figure includes Meta’s planned downsizing of 10% of its global workforce or close to 8,000 employees, as reported by Reuters, citing sources. Although Meta declined to comment on the details of the job cuts, it comes close on the heels of the Facebook and Instagram-owner pumping billions of dollars into augmenting its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.
By comparison, the total number of layoffs in the whole of 2025 stood at 1,24,201, as per the tracker.
AI Push
In fact, a major catalyst driving these layoffs is restructuring linked to AI, with tech firms increasingly directing funds towards automation and efficiency even as it leads to trimming the workforce.
On 31 March, Oracle initiated the process to cut nearly 30,000 positions, which constitutes roughly 18% of the software maker’s global workforce. The impact was also felt in India where 12,000 employees were reportedly terminated.
According to the tracker, software and SaaS companies have faced the largest number of job cuts, followed by e-commerce firms. Media companies such as The Walt Disney Company and Snap.Inc announced layoffs in quick succession just last week. Most of these firms are based out of the US, while a few have headquarters in Asia, including India.
Big Tech, Bigger Layoffs
Here’s a closer look at companies that have significantly reduced their headcount in 2026:
Snap
Snap, the parent company of popular messaging service Snapchat, announced plans to slash up to 16% of its global workforce on 15 April. Citing a pivot towards AI-driven efficiencies, CEO Evan Spiegel said that the reduction would affect around 1,000 members of staff and that at least 300 open positions would be closed, according to a CNBC report.
Walt Disney
The Walt Disney Company began layoffs on 15 April, and is expected to cut at least 1,000 roles across the marketing teams, its studio and television business, which includes Pixar Animation and Marvel Studios, as well as ESPN. Josh D’Amaro, who succeeded Bob Iger as CEO in February, wrote, “Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs,” according to an email seen by Reuters.
Epic Games
Epic Games, the video game and software developer which created Fortnite, announced job cuts for 1,000 employees last month. In a note, Founder Tim Sweeney wrote, “This layoff, together with over $500 million of identified cost savings in contracting, marketing, and closing some open roles puts us in a more stable place.”
Flipkart
Flipkart, owned by Walmart and based in Bengaluru, sacked about 400-500 employees after their annual performance review last month. According to a source-based report in The Economic Times, the job cuts constituted roughly 4% of the e-commerce firm’s headcount, higher than the 1-2% it usually lets go. The exercise hit employees across operations, engineering, and marketing teams.
Block
Block, a fintech company co-founded by Jack Dorsey, announced layoffs for over 4,000 employees, or 40% of its workforce, in February this year. In a letter to shareholders, Block CFO Amrita Ahuja reportedly wrote, “We are choosing to shift how we operate at a time when our business is accelerating and we see an opportunity to move faster with smaller, highly talented teams using AI to automate more work.”
Amazon
Amazon, the leading multinational technology company, slashed 16,000 roles “to strengthen the organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.” However, in a post on the website, Senior Vice President Beth Galetti wrote, “...We’ll also continue hiring and investing in strategic areas and functions that are critical to our future.” In February, The Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, laid off 300 journalists or one-third of its workforce over "plummeting online traffic amid the artificial intelligence boom”.
