The technology sector has witnessed a massive wave of layoffs throughout 2025, with 112,732 tech employees losing their jobs across 218 companies, according to independent tracking site Layoffs.fyi. This unprecedented workforce reduction represents one of the most significant restructuring periods in the industry’s history, driven primarily by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, automation initiatives, and economic uncertainty. Major corporations from Amazon to Intel have slashed tens of thousands of positions, fundamentally transforming how technology companies operate and compete in an AI-driven landscape.The impact extends far beyond Silicon Valley, affecting IT services giants in India, consulting firms, logistics companies, and manufacturing sectors worldwide.

More than 22,000 workers were laid off in the opening months of 2025, with February alone accounting for a staggering 16,084 job cuts. April emerged as another brutal period, with over 24,500 employees laid off as companies accelerated their cost-cutting measures. Industry leaders from Amazon’s Andy Jassy to Salesforce’s Marc Benioff have openly attributed these reductions to AI’s ability to automate tasks previously performed by human workers, marking a pivotal shift in the relationship between technology advancement and employment.

Amazon lays off 14,000 corporate positions in largest-ever layoff

Amazon is cutting up to 14,000 corporate positions, representing nearly 4% of its 350,000 corporate employee base, in what marks the e-commerce giant’s largest layoff event on record. Notifications began in late October 2025, with jobs eliminated across Amazon Web Services (AWS), operations, human resources, and other business units. CEO Andy Jassy cited the transition to AI-driven processes, overexpansion during previous years, and the urgent need to streamline management layers as the primary drivers behind these unprecedented cuts.The decision reflects Amazon’s push to run the company “like the world’s largest startup,” according to Beth Galetti, SVP of People Experience & Technology. While the reduction affects less than 2% of Amazon’s total global workforce, it follows years of belt-tightening since the pandemic, during which the company has already reduced its workforce by approximately 27,000 employees since the start of 2022. The cuts come as rapid advances in artificial intelligence fundamentally change how Amazon operates, with the company betting heavily on automation to maintain its competitive edge while improving operational efficiency and profit margins.

Intel cuts 24,000 jobs as CEO Lip-Bu Tan restructures semiconductor giant

Intel confirmed it will reduce its global workforce by 24,000 employees during 2025, bringing its core headcount down from nearly 100,000 to approximately 75,000 by year-end. This massive restructuring, representing roughly 22% of its workforce, is part of a major efficiency push by new CEO Lip-Bu Tan amid intensifying competition in the semiconductor sector. The chipmaker is implementing cuts through a combination of direct layoffs and natural attrition, with significant reductions taking place in the United States, Germany, Poland, and Costa Rica.Government filings revealed that Intel is laying off more than 5,000 employees across four US states alone, with most cuts concentrated in California and Oregon, while additional reductions affect facilities in Texas and Arizona. In July, Intel reportedly planned to lay off nearly 2,400 workers in Oregon, almost five times more than initially announced. The company told staff in June to expect 15% to 20% of employees in its Foundry division to be laid off, while also confirming plans to completely wind down its auto business. The move came ahead of Intel’s Q1 earnings call and marks a significant strategic shift under CEO Tan, who took over from longtime chief Pat Gelsinger last year.

TCS cuts nearly 20,000 jobs as AI reshapes India’s IT sector

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT exporter and private-sector employer, has carried out its steepest-ever job cuts as the twin pressures of artificial intelligence and strained US-India trade ties shake up the country’s $280 billion technology industry. In the quarter ending September 30, 2025, TCS reduced its workforce by 19,755 employees, marking a 3.2% decline from the previous quarter. The company’s headcount has dropped below the 600,000 mark for the first time since 2022, signaling a major turning point for India’s outsourcing powerhouse.Chief Human Resources Officer Sudeep Kunnumal told analysts that the ongoing restructuring primarily targets mid- and senior-level roles affected by what he called a “skill and capability mismatch.” TCS is approximately halfway through its plan to reduce 2% of its global workforce by March 2026, a move designed to align with the company’s push toward AI and automation-led services. The company has set aside Rs 11.35 billion (approximately $136 million) to cover severance-related costs. Analysts at Citi noted that the layoffs reflect a subdued business outlook, pointing to weak global demand and tightening tech budgets, while US President Donald Trump‘s plans to raise H-1B visa fees to $100,000 and impose higher tariffs on Indian imports have further clouded the outlook for India’s IT majors.

Accenture lays off thousands of employees as it looks for staff equipped for AI era

Accenture says it has laid off thousands employees globally through the middle of October 2025 as part of a major restructuring to prioritize artificial intelligence capabilities and align with changing client demand. CEO Julie Sweet stated that many roles could not be reskilled for new AI-driven needs, forcing the consulting giant to make difficult workforce decisions. The company’s total headcount fell from roughly 791,000 to 779,000 employees, with further cuts planned as AI expansion continues across the organisation.The reduction marks one of the largest layoffs in the professional services sector and highlights how even companies that help other businesses implement AI are themselves being transformed by the technology. Accenture has been aggressively pivoting toward AI consulting services, generative AI implementations, and automation solutions for clients, but this transition has made certain traditional consulting roles obsolete. The company confirmed it is simultaneously hiring for AI-focused positions while eliminating roles in legacy service areas, reflecting the broader challenge facing the global workforce as artificial intelligence reshapes job requirements and skill demands across industries.

Microsoft cuts 9,000 employees across multiple divisions

Microsoft conducted several rounds of layoffs throughout 2025, ultimately cutting approximately 9,000 employees, or less than 4% of its global workforce of around 220,000. The July announcement followed earlier reductions of less than 1% in January, more than 6,000 in May, and at least 300 in June. The company cited the urgent need to control costs while funneling increased investment into artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure, adding to an earlier round of 10,000 cuts in 2023.The cuts affected software engineers, product managers, technical program managers, marketers, and legal counsels across various teams, role types, and geographies throughout 2025. In January, Microsoft cut an unspecified number of jobs based on employees’ performance evaluations, with affected workers told they wouldn’t receive severance packages and that benefits such as medical insurance would stop immediately. The company was also reportedly contemplating additional layoffs, with internal discussions about reducing the number of middle managers and non-coders to increase the ratio of programmers to product managers, according to Business Insider. The multiple rounds of reductions reflect Microsoft’s aggressive pivot toward AI-powered products and services while streamlining operations across gaming divisions, sales teams, and administrative functions.

Salesforce cuts 4,000 support jobs as AI handles customer service

Salesforce eliminated approximately 4,000 roles in its customer support division, cutting the team from around 9,000 to 5,000 employees in one of 2025’s most dramatic examples of AI-driven workforce reduction. CEO Marc Benioff directly attributed the layoffs to artificial intelligence’s ability to automate routine customer interactions, stating bluntly during a September podcast appearance: “I was able to rebalance my headcount on my support. I reduced it from 9,000 heads to about 5,000 because I need fewer heads.”Benioff highlighted how Salesforce’s AI now manages approximately 50% of customer conversations, allowing the company to streamline operations without sacrificing service quality. The company deployed Agentforce at the start of the year, resulting in a decline in support cases and eliminating the need to backfill support engineer roles. “We’ve successfully redeployed hundreds of employees into other areas like professional services, sales, and customer success,” a Salesforce spokesperson explained. The move marked a significant reversal from Benioff’s earlier stance in July, when he insisted that AI would augment rather than replace workers and that “the humans are not going away.” Salesforce also cut more than 1,000 additional jobs from its nearly 73,000-strong workforce in February and trimmed another 262 positions at its San Francisco headquarters in September.

Cisco laid off 4,250 positions to focus on high-growth areas

Networking equipment giant Cisco announced it will cut around 4,250 jobs, representing 5% of its workforce, as the company pivots to focus on high-growth business areas including AI, cybersecurity, and cloud networking. The reductions come as Cisco, which employed nearly 85,000 workers at the end of fiscal 2023, undertakes a major restructuring of its operations amid shifting market demands and increasing competition from cloud-native networking solutions.Government filings showed 221 positions being eliminated across the company’s Milpitas and San Francisco offices, including 157 in Santa Clara County and 64 in San Francisco, with terminations taking effect in October. The cuts are part of Cisco’s broader workforce-reduction strategy designed to reallocate resources toward emerging technologies and away from legacy hardware products. Sources previously indicated job cuts were expected for the company as it aims to transform from a traditional networking equipment manufacturer into a software and subscription-based services provider, reflecting broader industry trends as enterprise technology shifts toward cloud-based architectures and software-defined networking solutions.

Google conducts multiple layoff rounds in 2025

Google conducted multiple rounds of layoffs throughout 2025, cutting over 100 design roles in its cloud division in October and hitting US-based teams especially hard as the company aggressively shifts focus toward artificial intelligence investments. Many affected employees were given until early December to find new roles within Google, following additional layoffs across its Silicon Valley offices, including at least 50 permanent cuts in Sunnyvale, according to CNBC reports.The search giant also downsized its smart TV division by 25% of its 300-member team in June to adjust its strategy, cutting funding for the smart TV division (including Google TV and Android TV) by 10% while simultaneously raising investment in AI projects. In April, Google laid off hundreds of employees in its platforms and devices division, which covers Android, Pixel phones, the Chrome browser, and related products, according to The Information. In February, the company announced plans to cut employees in its People Operations and cloud organisations teams as part of a new reorganisation effort, offering a voluntary exit program to U.S.-based People Operations employees. The pattern of cuts reflects Google’s broader strategy to reallocate resources away from mature products toward generative AI development and deployment.

Meta lays off 600 employees from its legacy AI division

Meta (formerly Facebook) laid off approximately 600 employees in October, primarily in its AI research and development divisions, as part of a continued effort to streamline project teams and refocus on generative AI investments and Reality Labs development. The cuts affected staff across Meta’s AI infrastructure units, including the Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) team, though top-tier AI hires in TBD Labs managed by new chief AI officer Alexandr Wang remained unaffected.“By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will be more load-bearing and have more scope and impact,” Wang wrote in an internal memo explaining the restructuring. The latest round followed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement in January that the company would cut 5% of its staff, targeting “low performers” as the company prepared for what he called “an intense year.” Those cuts, which started in February, affected several thousand workers across multiple divisions, with teams overseeing Facebook, the Horizon virtual reality platform, and logistics among the hardest hit. The company also let go of over 100 employees in its Reality Labs division in April. Previously, Meta had laid off more than 21,000 workers since 2022, making it one of the tech industry’s most aggressive cost-cutters.

Oracle cuts hundreds across Cloud and Infrastructure teams

Oracle eliminated hundreds of jobs across multiple locations throughout 2025 as the company works to curb costs amid heavy spending on AI infrastructure and cloud computing expansion. In September, the database giant cut another 101 jobs in Seattle and 254 in San Francisco, just weeks after a wave of layoffs in August that affected its cloud division and other business units. The company, which had approximately 3,900 local employees before the California cuts, declined to comment on the reductions or explain the strategic rationale behind them.Oracle is set to cut an additional 101 jobs at its Santa Clara location, with notices issued on August 13 and terminations taking effect in October. The company also disclosed nearly 200 layoffs at its Pleasanton and Redwood City offices and planned to lay off 161 employees in Seattle, according to filings with the Washington state Employment Security Department. Sources familiar with the cuts told Bloomberg that some of the reductions were related to performance issues, though the majority appear driven by restructuring efforts as Oracle pivots toward cloud services and away from traditional database licensing. The company has not provided official statements about total job losses or future workforce plans, but the pattern of cuts suggests ongoing efforts to optimize operations in its cloud infrastructure division.

UPS cuts 48,000 positions in historic restructuring effort

United Parcel Service (UPS) announced it eliminated 48,000 positions in the first nine months of 2025 as part of a sweeping restructuring effort to lower costs and realign operations for a more automated future. These cuts include 14,000 management jobs and approximately 34,000 operational roles such as drivers and warehouse workers. UPS confirmed these details in their Q3 financial disclosures, highlighting ongoing consolidation of facilities and a strategic shift to improve profits and market adaptability in an increasingly competitive logistics environment.CEO Carol Tomé described the changes as the most significant strategic transformation in UPS history, with the company beginning 2025 with nearly 500,000 employees. The reduction follows a sharp 16% drop in Amazon package volume in the fourth quarter of 2024 and is part of a broader plan to halve its Amazon business by mid-2026. UPS is also closing 73 US buildings by June and automating 400 facilities to reduce labor dependency, with the Teamsters union pledging to fight layoffs affecting its members. The company told investors the cuts would save approximately $210 million in 2025 and $300 million in 2026, positioning UPS to emerge as what Tomé calls an “even stronger, more nimble” logistics provider.

Ford cuts up to 13,000 jobs in electric vehicle transition

Ford is currently staging a layoff cycle targeting between 8,000 and 13,000 jobs in 2025, based on financial reports and insider accounts, though the company has not issued an official public statement confirming final numbers. Job cuts are focused on its Model e EV division, commercial operations, US legacy functions, and European manufacturing plants. The reduction is being staged in multiple tranches and aligns with Ford’s broader reorganisation and aggressive cost-cutting plans as the automotive industry undergoes a dramatic transformation.The layoffs reflect the challenges traditional automakers face as they transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles while simultaneously managing declining profit margins and intense competition from Tesla and Chinese EV manufacturers. Ford’s restructuring aims to separate its electric vehicle operations from its traditional gas-powered business, but the transition has proven more costly and slower than anticipated. The cuts come as the broader EV market experiences a slowdown in consumer adoption, with buyers hesitant about range limitations, charging infrastructure, and higher vehicle prices compared to conventional alternatives.

PwC cuts 5,600 globally as automation reshapes accounting

PwC globally has cut approximately 5,600 jobs during its 2025 financial year, including nearly 1,500 in the United States, primarily affecting audit and tax roles. The Big Four accounting firm cited historically low attrition rates as the unexpected driver behind the cuts, explaining that not enough employees were leaving voluntarily to make room for new talent with AI and automation skills. PwC’s layoffs began on May 5 and were part of a broader adaptation to automation, shifting business priorities, and a strategic restructuring aimed at reallocating resources toward advisory and sustainability consulting services.“This was a difficult decision, and we made it with care, thoughtfulness, and a deep awareness of its impact on our people, appreciating that historically low levels of attrition over consecutive years have made it necessary to take this step,” a PwC spokesperson said in a statement. Additional rounds of smaller cuts were reported in various international markets as the firm continues to navigate the transformation of traditional accounting and auditing work through artificial intelligence. The cuts signal how even professional services firms that help clients implement new technologies are themselves being disrupted, with AI tools increasingly capable of handling routine audit procedures, tax calculations, and compliance checks that previously required teams of junior accountants and associates.

Paramount lays off 2,000 jobs

Paramount Global has laid off approximately 2,000 workers in 2025 following a year of intense restructuring sparked by streaming industry losses, weak advertising markets, and increased competition from Netflix, Disney+, and other platforms. Cuts focused heavily on streaming operations, production teams, and administrative staff as the media company attempts to restore profitability after years of heavy investment in its Paramount+ streaming service failed to generate expected returns.The layoffs come after Paramount cut 15% of jobs in the previous year and follow the company’s announcement that it employed 18,600 people at the end of 2024. CEO Bob Bakish said the reductions aim to help Paramount restore earnings growth and achieve its long-term vision amid mounting streaming losses and declining revenues from traditional cable television. The company told employees it would be laying off 3.5% of US-based staff, citing industry-wide declines and a challenging macroeconomic environment.