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Tech layoffs have surged again in early 2026, extending the workforce turmoil that defined the sector throughout 2025. Thousands of employees have been shed in the first few weeks alone, with high-profile companies announcing fresh rounds of job cuts. The continued contraction reflects sustained economic headwinds and a fundamental reshaping of the industry’s post-pandemic workforce strategy.
RELATED: New Report: 2025’s tech layoffs total 245,000, what to expect in 2026?
The most recent one is Elon Musk’s xAI restructuring, which, ‘unfortunately required parting ways with some people’ as the company scales rapidly ahead of a potential massive IPO. To better understand the true scale of the layoffs this year, RationalFX in its latest report detailing the depth of global tech industry layoffs in 2026, expressed mounting warnings from business leaders and economists pointing to artificial intelligence as a key accelerator of these layoff waves.
30,700 Jobs Gone. Six Weeks. Tech’s Bloodbath Continues
Companies are restructuring around automation, machine learning, and efficiency gains putting not only individual roles but entire job functions at risk. To determine which companies led 2026’s biggest job cuts, the team at RationalFX compiled layoff data from multiple verified sources, including U.S. WARN notices, TrueUp, TechCrunch, and the Layoffs.fyi tracker, covering announcements made since the start of 2026. The full ranking of tech companies by number of layoffs is available on Google Drive via this link.
Data shows there have been 30,700 tech layoffs worldwide since the start of the year. Of these, 24,600 roles, just over 80% of the global total, came from U.S.-based tech companies, with the biggest share coming from Amazon’s recent announcement that it would be cutting 16,000 positions. While much less dramatic, Europe remains firmly in second place with 4,214 layoffs, with the biggest number coming from Sweden (1,900) and the Netherlands (1,700).
These are the Countries With the Most Layoffs So Far in 2026
- US – 24,600 layoffs
- Sweden – 1,900 layoffs
- Netherlands – 1,700 layoffs
- India – 920 layoffs
- Israel – 774 – layoffs
- Czech Republic – 250 layoffs
- Germany – 200 layoffs
- Argentina – 119 layoffs
- France – 114 layoffs
- British Virgin Islands – 60 layoffs
Other highlights from the report
- Following a wave of roughly 245,000 tech job cuts in 2025, the start of 2026 has been just as intense, with an estimated 30,700 tech roles already slashed worldwide. Early 2026 figures show that if this trend continues throughout the year, the year could see over 270,000 total tech job losses, far outpacing the scale of 2025.
- The United States accounted for about 24,600 of the 30,700 layoffs globally in tech so far in 2026, just over 80% of the total. European tech firms contributed over 4,200 cuts, led by 1,900 layoffs in Sweden and 1,700 in the Netherlands, primarily due to cost-cutting initiatives and AI implementation.
- Amazon, which previously eliminated tens of thousands of jobs across 2025 as part of restructuring initiatives, confirmed 16,000 corporate layoffs in January 2026, representing over 52% of all announced tech layoffs so far this year and far outpacing other tech companies. These cuts occur despite the company posting record revenues of $716.9 billion in 2025 (up 12% year-on-year).
- In 2025, roughly 69,840 of the 245,000 tech layoffs, about 28.5% of the total, were tied to AI adoption and automation. That pattern has carried into 2026, with at least 1,430 confirmed AI-related job cuts so far, including Pinterest’s 15% workforce reduction (675 layoffs) as part of a strategic pivot toward AI.
Not a Collapse. A Correction. Tech Layoffs Signal Reset, Not Ruin
“Tech’s 2026 layoffs are not a sign of an industry in the midst of collapse; they’re a sign of recalibration. Many of the same companies cutting thousands of roles are doing so after posting strong profits, which shows this is about efficiency, not survival. AI is no longer just a growth story; it’s a cost-reduction tool, and firms are restructuring accordingly. What we’re witnessing is a shift from headcount-driven expansion to automation-led productivity, a transition that will define the tech sector in the coming years.”
– comments Alan Cohen, analyst at RationalFX.
These conclusions were made based on layoff announcements, WARN notices, and independent layoff reports between January 2026 and February 2026. More information on the tech sector layoffs, the underlying reasons for job reductions, and RationalFX’ complete research methodology can be found in the full report.
The raw dataset is also available on Google Drive at the following link.
