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As tech giants are increasingly investing in AI infrastructure and streamlining their operations, the wave of mass layoffs in the sector shows no signs of slowing down, with Google now said to be offering voluntary buyouts to employees.
RELATED: Tech sector layoffs continue with Amazon and Samsung slashing 29,000 jobs in October
A new comprehensive report on layoffs in the global tech industry by RationalFX looks into the companies that have eliminated the most jobs in 2025 so far.
Following several rounds of layoffs in 2023 and 2024, Alphabet (Google) continues its downsizing efforts in 2025 with a voluntary exit program offered to employees in various divisions, including engineering and knowledge and information.
Earlier this year, it offered buyouts for Android, Pixel workers, along with laying off at least 260 workers. If mass layoffs continue at the same pace, the tech sector could lose between 235,000 and 250,000 jobs by the end of the year, according to the team at RationalFX.
The research by RationalFX shows that between January 1 and May 20, at least 90,471 employees were laid off from tech companies around the world. This does not include voluntary buyouts; by now, this figure has likely exceeded 100,000. The list of tech companies ranked by the number of laid-off employees can be accessed in Google Drive via this link.
Key takeaways from the report
- At least 90,471 employees in the global tech sector have lost their jobs this year, with 72% of them being laid off by U.S.-based companies. The actual number of layoffs, however, might be much larger since there are dozens of companies where the job cuts have not been confirmed.
- U.S.-based computer hardware manufacturer Intel has initiated the most significant layoffs this year, eliminating around 20% of its entire workforce. Even without any hard numbers confirmed by the company, we estimate that roughly 20,000 Intel employees might lose their jobs in 2025.
- The 90,471 laid off between January 1 and May 20, 2025, average 646 job losses per day. If the current pace continues, the tech industry is on track to cut an additional 145,500 jobs by year-end, bringing the projected total for 2025 to 235,871 layoffs in the global tech sector.
- Since the beginning of the year, tech companies based in California have announced 38,352 layoffs, more than half of the U.S. total. Another 13,385 layoffs have occurred at companies based in Washington State.
Financial pressures and automation appear behind recent layoffs
Financial pressures and the drive toward automation appear to be the main forces behind the recent waves of layoffs. Employee retention has been deprioritized in favor of cost-cutting measures, alongside the fast implementation of AI tools. Moreover, many companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are heavily investing in data centers, cloud infrastructure, and AI models of their own. Recently, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned that AI could steal half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within the next five years; and not just in technology but also in law, finance and other sectors.
Financial losses have also pushed many companies around the world to downsize. Along with Intel, which reported a net loss of $18.8 billion for the full year 2024 and lost another $800 million in the first three months of 2025, Sweden’s battery maker Northvolt declared bankruptcy in March, laying off more than 3,000 employees, and is now planning to cease all operations by the end of June.
Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, India, UK, account for high layoffs
Countries where tech companies have eliminated a large number of positions include Japan with 10,100 layoffs (mostly at Panasonic), Sweden with 3,053 (Northvolt), Switzerland with 3,050 (STMicro), India with 2,688 (Ola Electric and Infosys), and the UK with 1,445 (Arrival, Wise).
More information on tech sector layoffs, the underlying reasons for job reductions, and our complete research methodology can be found in the full report. The raw dataset is also available on Google Drive at the following link. Feel free to use the data or graphics, provided proper attribution is given with a link to the original source.
