The past few weeks have seen a persistent flurry of layoffs reports from U.S.-based tech companies, with job cuts impacting employees across the globe, reflecting a sustained drive for efficiency and a recalibration of growth strategies that began in earnest in late 2022. This ongoing trend underscores a fundamental shift from the hyper-growth hiring sprees of the pandemic era to a more cautious, profitability-focused approach.

Leading January 2026’s tally of job cuts so far is Seattle-based Amazon, a tech behemoth whose workforce adjustments send ripples throughout the industry. This week, the online shopping marketplace and cloud services giant reported in a blog post that it is continuing its efforts to reduce its workforce, a strategic initiative first announced in October, when it initially laid off 14,000 workers. The company has explicitly stated that these cuts are designed to "strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy." This latest round, according to the company’s official communication, affects approximately 16,000 workers globally, adding to the cumulative impact of its ongoing organizational streamlining. These moves highlight Amazon’s commitment to optimizing its vast operations amidst a maturing e-commerce market and increased scrutiny on its various business units, including its highly profitable Amazon Web Services (AWS) division.

This month has also witnessed a pair of New York-based startups reporting total shutdowns, signaling continued distress in niche tech markets, particularly within the beleaguered cryptocurrency and NFT sectors. NFT trading platform Nifty Gateway Studio is set to shut down in mid-February, according to industry news publication CoinDesk. In a blog post from Gemini, the cryptocurrency fintech that acquired the platform in late 2019, detailed plans to build a "super app" and "continue to support NFTs via the Gemini Wallet." While Gemini aims to integrate NFT functionalities into its broader ecosystem, the closure of a dedicated platform like Nifty Gateway indicates a consolidation and a re-evaluation of specialized ventures within the volatile digital asset space. It remains unclear how many workers will be affected by the closure, but such shutdowns invariably lead to significant job losses.

Further illustrating the persistent "crypto winter" and its chilling effect on startups, crypto custody provider Entropy is also calling it quits, according to a report from The Block, referencing a post on X from founder Tux Pacific. Founded in 2021, Entropy had managed to raise a substantial $25 million seed round in June 2022, led by prominent venture capital firms a16z crypto and Andreessen Horowitz, who were joined by several other investors. Despite this significant early backing, the company is now winding down, stating it will return capital to its investors following the shutdown. This decision underscores the immense challenges faced by crypto startups, even those with robust funding, in a market characterized by regulatory uncertainty, declining asset prices, and a general loss of investor confidence.

Making a return appearance on the tracker this week is Austin-based Oracle, the enterprise software giant known for its database technology and cloud services. Per a recent report, Oracle plans to shed an additional 254 roles from its Bay Area facilities, specifically in Redwood City, Pleasanton, and Santa Clara. The reduction will primarily affect teams within its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) division, as well as those working on AI and machine learning projects, according to the report. While smaller in scale than Amazon’s cuts, Oracle’s layoffs are notable as they target areas typically seen as growth drivers, suggesting a strategic reallocation of resources or an effort to improve efficiency within even its most cutting-edge departments.

New Additions and the Ever-Evolving Landscape

The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is continuously updated to reflect the dynamic nature of workforce adjustments across the U.S. tech sector. While specific new additions beyond the major players highlighted above are tracked rigorously behind the scenes, this section serves to acknowledge the ongoing stream of smaller yet significant workforce reductions reported weekly. These often include venture-backed startups grappling with tightening funding environments, as well as mid-sized tech companies making strategic shifts to remain competitive. The current environment demands agility, and many companies, regardless of size, are re-evaluating their headcount against their projected revenues and operational efficiencies.

Tech Layoffs: US Companies That Cut Jobs In 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 And 2026

The narrative of tech layoffs is not a recent phenomenon but rather a multi-year saga of market correction and strategic recalibration.

By the numbers:

• Layoffs during the week ended Jan. 28, 2026: At least 18,072 U.S. tech sector employees were laid off or scheduled for layoffs, per a Crunchbase News tally. This figure marks a significant start to the year, indicating that the trend of workforce reduction continues with considerable momentum.
• In 2025: Around 127,000 workers were let go from U.S.-based tech companies according to our tally. This represented a slight moderation from the peak of 2023, but still reflected persistent economic headwinds and a focus on sustainable growth over rapid expansion.
• In 2024: At least 95,667 workers at U.S.-based tech companies lost their jobs in 2024, according to a Crunchbase News tally. This year saw a more tempered approach to layoffs compared to the previous two, with companies often making targeted cuts rather than sweeping reductions, focusing on areas like redundant roles post-AI integration or underperforming divisions.
• In 2023: More than 191,000 workers in U.S.-based tech companies (or tech companies with a large U.S. workforce) were laid off in mass job cuts. This was the peak year for layoffs, driven by a combination of aggressive post-pandemic overhiring, rising interest rates, and widespread fears of a recession.
• In 2022: More than 93,000 jobs were slashed from public and private tech companies in the U.S. This year marked the beginning of the tech slowdown, as the initial market correction set in and companies began to prune their bloated workforces.

Companies with the biggest workforce reductions in 2025

While the full list for 2025 is extensive and constantly updated within the tracker, the year continued to see major tech players adjusting their headcounts. Large enterprise software companies, e-commerce giants, and some social media platforms were among those making significant cuts, reflecting a broad-based effort to enhance operational efficiency and respond to shifting consumer and enterprise spending patterns. This section of the tracker highlights the companies with the most substantial impact on the U.S. tech workforce, providing a snapshot of where the most significant restructuring is occurring.

Methodology

This tracker includes layoffs conducted by U.S.-based companies or those with a strong U.S. presence and is updated at least bi-weekly. We’ve included both startups and publicly traded, tech-heavy companies. We’ve also included companies based elsewhere that have a sizable team in the United States, such as Klarna, even when it’s unclear how much of the U.S. workforce has been affected by layoffs. Layoff and workforce figures are best estimates based on reporting. We source the layoffs from media reports, our own reporting, social media posts, and layoffs.fyi, a crowdsourced database of tech layoffs. We recently updated our layoffs tracker to reflect the most recent round of layoffs each company has conducted. This allows us to quickly and more accurately track layoff trends, which is why you might notice some changes in our most recent numbers. If an employee headcount cannot be confirmed to our standards, we note it as “unclear.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a layoff?
A layoff can be either a permanent termination of someone’s employment — usually for cost-saving reasons — or a temporary one because there’s not enough work to justify a full workforce. Tech company layoffs generally fall into the permanent category, often accompanied by severance packages and outplacement services. A mass layoff is when a significant number of a company’s employees are cut in a short period of time, often as a result of economic conditions, strategic restructuring, or technological shifts like automation. Unlike firings, which are typically performance-based, layoffs are usually not a reflection of an individual employee’s performance.

Why are tech companies doing layoffs?
Tech layoffs started to surge in 2022 and continued in 2023 and 2024, driven by a confluence of factors. Companies have given various reasons for conducting layoffs. Some companies — especially those in the e-commerce sector — nearly doubled their employee headcount to meet consumer demand during the COVID-19 pandemic’s stay-at-home mandates, and later found that they were significantly overstaffed as daily life returned to normal and consumer spending habits shifted. Large tech employers such as Salesforce and Google parent Alphabet noted that their post-pandemic layoffs followed several years of rapid hiring fueled by fast growth — between 2019 and 2022, some companies nearly doubled their employee headcount. Some large tech companies also cited slowing sales, rising interest rates, increased cost of capital, and fears of a broader economic recession as reasons for downsizing and focusing on profitability. Venture-backed startups, meanwhile, also cut jobs as a way to cut costs and preserve their cash reserves, as venture funding fell significantly after the peak in 2021. Many startups that ran out of cash and couldn’t raise new funding found themselves filing for bankruptcy or shutting down entirely, leading to total workforce dissolution.

What were the biggest tech layoffs of 2024?
Intel Corp. laid off the largest number of people among U.S. tech employers in 2024, by our count. The semiconductor giant laid off more than 15,000 employees last year, reflecting challenges in the PC market and strategic shifts in its manufacturing operations. It was followed closely by electric-car maker Tesla, which cut more than 14,000 roles amidst production adjustments and competitive pressures, and networking company Cisco, with more than 10,000 total roles cut as it restructured to focus on software and recurring revenue.

What were the biggest tech layoffs of 2023?
In 2023, Amazon layoffs led the numbers with 16,000 roles cut, part of its extensive cost-cutting and efficiency drive. Layoffs at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, totaled about 12,000, as the search giant aimed to streamline operations after years of rapid expansion. Microsoft’s layoffs totaled about 10,000 workers in 2023, as did Facebook parent Meta’s layoffs, both companies recalibrating their workforces amid market uncertainties and significant investments in AI and the metaverse, respectively. Many venture-backed tech startups have also done layoffs as venture capital investment has fallen sharply since the peak in 2021, and falling startup valuations factor into their decisions to conduct layoffs.

Are more tech layoffs coming?
Yes, more layoffs are likely coming. While there are signs that the volume of layoffs is tapering from the 2023 peak, experts we talked to expect job cuts in the tech sector to continue for the foreseeable future as large tech companies and startups continue to battle economic headwinds, optimize for AI-driven efficiency, and respond to investor demands for profitability. Seed and early-stage startups in particular may continue to conduct layoffs in an attempt to extend their cash runways in a difficult venture funding environment, where securing follow-on rounds is increasingly challenging. Tech layoffs noticeably increased at the start of 2022, ramped up significantly in 2023, waned somewhat in 2024, and have continued into 2025 and 2026, indicating a prolonged period of market adjustment.

What are signs that a company is planning layoffs?
Signs that may indicate a company is more likely to conduct layoffs include:

1. Hiring freezes or significant slowdowns in recruitment: One of the first indicators that a company is tightening its belt.
2. Increased focus on "efficiency" and "cost-cutting": Management communications often shift towards these themes.
3. Restructuring announcements or departmental reorganizations: These can often precede or accompany workforce reductions to align with new strategic priorities.
4. Poor financial performance or missed revenue targets: Declining profits or slower-than-expected growth can trigger cost-cutting measures.
5. Executive departures or significant leadership changes: A new leadership team may initiate a strategic overhaul that includes layoffs.
6. Discontinuation of projects or product lines: Shuttering underperforming initiatives often means cutting the teams associated with them.
7. Mergers and acquisitions: Integration of two companies often leads to redundancies in roles and departments.
8. Selling off non-core assets: A company divesting parts of its business may also lay off employees associated with those assets.
9. Reduced perks and benefits: Cutting back on employee benefits, travel, or office amenities can signal financial strain.

When will layoffs stop?
It’s challenging to predict an exact end date for tech layoffs. The current cycle is driven by a complex interplay of factors including macroeconomic conditions (inflation, interest rates), a re-evaluation of post-pandemic growth, and the transformative impact of AI. Layoffs may slow down significantly when economic stability returns, venture capital funding recovers to healthier levels, and companies achieve their desired levels of operational efficiency. However, the tech industry is inherently dynamic, and some level of workforce adjustment is always ongoing due to technological advancements, market shifts, and competitive pressures. The expectation is that the current intense period will normalize, but a complete cessation of layoffs is unlikely in such a rapidly evolving sector.

How many recent tech layoffs have there been?
Tech layoffs started surging in the 2022 market correction, with an estimated 93,000 U.S. tech workers laid off that year. That figure more than doubled in 2023, with around 191,000 U.S. tech employees laid off, according to our Tech Layoffs Tracker. Layoffs abated somewhat in 2024, with around 95,000 reported tech layoffs, before picking up again with approximately 127,000 in 2025 and starting 2026 with over 18,000 in the first month. Keep in mind, many companies don’t report detailed layoffs figures, and some companies continue hiring after cuts for positions deemed more beneficial to the business.

Is selling the company a good option to avoid layoffs?
Selling a company can be a complex strategy to avoid layoffs, with mixed outcomes. In some cases, a successful acquisition by a larger, more stable company can provide the necessary capital and resources to save jobs that would otherwise be cut if the company were to remain independent and struggling. However, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) frequently lead to layoffs themselves, particularly due to redundancies in administrative, HR, marketing, or even engineering departments as the acquiring company integrates the new entity. While an acquisition might prevent a total shutdown, it often results in a significant restructuring of the workforce. The decision hinges on the strategic fit, the financial health of the acquiring company, and its integration plans.

What jobs are being cut in tech layoffs?
Tech layoffs have hit across departments at many companies. Many layoffs from the large tech giants were software engineers, particularly those in less critical or experimental projects. Startups, often with leaner engineering teams, tend to be more likely to retain engineers in favor of doing layoffs in their talent and recruiting, marketing, and other operational departments. Google cut roles in its sales, recruiting, product, and engineering teams, reflecting a broad effort to streamline operations. Amazon layoffs included jobs in its AWS cloud unit, at its social video platform Twitch, and in its advertising department, indicating a focus on core profitability across its diverse portfolio. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company’s recruiting department would be the first to see job cuts, highlighting a shift from rapid hiring to a more deliberate and efficient growth model. This shows a clear trend of companies optimizing across the board, rather than just in one specific area.

Where can I read recent tech layoff news?
Follow all of our tech layoffs news here and track which companies are cutting jobs with the layoffs tracker above, which is updated regularly to provide the most current insights into the evolving tech employment landscape.

Where can I see layoffs in the last 24 hours?
While not daily, this Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is updated weekly, if not more frequently, with the latest job cuts at U.S. tech employers. For real-time updates, aggregating news sources and social media feeds daily is often the best approach, but our tracker provides a comprehensive and verified overview.

Which companies are hiring for open tech jobs?
Many tech companies continue to hire for open roles, despite layoffs in the sector. The job market is not uniform; while some areas contract, others expand, particularly in fields like AI, cybersecurity, and specialized cloud infrastructure. Find out more about Crunchbase’s Actively Hiring filter and how you can find companies with multiple open roles, often indicating growth in specific, strategic areas. You can find all of our job market-related news here.

Can I cite the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker?
Yes. Please cite Crunchbase News and include a link to this Tech Layoffs Tracker when referencing the data or insights presented here.