The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker chronicles the dynamic and often challenging landscape of job reductions within the U.S. tech sector, offering a comprehensive overview of workforce adjustments driven by economic shifts, market corrections, and evolving technological priorities. This essential resource provides up-to-date information on companies making cuts, the scale of these layoffs, and the underlying reasons, serving as a critical barometer for the health and direction of the tech industry.

Gaming Leads Weekly US Tech Layoffs Tally With Epic Games Cut

The past week saw another significant round of U.S. tech worker layoffs, with the gaming sector experiencing the most substantial impact. Cary, North Carolina-based Epic Games, renowned developer of the global phenomenon Fortnite, announced a workforce reduction affecting over 1,000 employees. In a statement, Epic Games cited a confluence of "industry-wide challenges" as the impetus for these cuts. These challenges include "slower growth, weaker spending, and tougher cost economics," indicating a tightening market for consumer discretionary spending on games. Furthermore, the company noted that "current consoles selling less than last generation’s" points to a broader hardware sales slowdown, while "games competing for time against other increasingly-engaging forms of entertainment" highlights the intense competition for audience attention in the digital age. This move underscores the pressures even highly successful gaming companies face in a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape, grappling with escalating development costs, fierce competition, and a saturated market.

Beyond gaming, the cryptocurrency sector also contributed to this week’s layoff figures. Singapore-based Crypto.com made its entry onto the Layoffs Tracker with an announcement to shed approximately 180 workers, constituting about 12% of its global workforce. According to a report from The Block, co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek posted on X (formerly Twitter) that this company-wide shift toward integrating artificial intelligence technologies necessitated a "reduction of roles that do not adapt in our new world." While the exact number of U.S. workers affected remains unclear, this strategic pivot signals a growing trend across the tech industry where companies are re-evaluating their talent needs in light of rapid advancements in AI and automation, prioritizing roles that align with future-forward technological initiatives.

Smaller organizations also felt the pinch, landing on the tracker as casualties of a challenging funding environment. Chicago-based crowdfunding platform FranShares is set to close its doors at the end of March. The decision comes after the company failed to secure additional funding, as confirmed by its founder and CEO, Kenny Rose. FranShares, which aimed to make franchise ownership more accessible through fractional investments, had previously garnered support from investors like Chicago Ventures, which led its pre-seed and seed funding rounds. Its last recorded fundraise was a $4.1 million seed round in July 2024. The closure of FranShares exemplifies the difficulties faced by many venture-backed startups in the current economic climate, where securing follow-on funding has become increasingly arduous, forcing companies to either drastically cut costs or cease operations if they cannot extend their cash runway.

New additions

The following companies were added to the tracker this week, reflecting ongoing adjustments across various tech sub-sectors:

• Epic Games: Gaming, 1,000+ employees laid off.
• Crypto.com: Cryptocurrency, 180 employees laid off (12% of global workforce).
• FranShares: Crowdfunding/Fintech, complete shutdown.
• Further additions this week might include smaller startups in SaaS, e-commerce, or specialized AI solutions, reflecting either strategic restructuring, funding challenges, or a general need to streamline operations in a competitive market.

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

The tech industry has undergone a tumultuous period of workforce adjustments over the past several years, with the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker meticulously documenting the scale of these changes.

By the numbers

• Layoffs during the week ended March 25, 2026: At least 1,445 U.S. tech sector employees were laid off or scheduled for layoffs, per a Crunchbase News tally. This figure highlights the persistent, albeit sometimes fluctuating, nature of workforce reductions even into the mid-2020s.
• In 2025: Around 127,000 workers were let go from U.S.-based tech companies according to our tally. This indicates a significant but slightly moderated level of layoffs compared to the peak years, suggesting a continued focus on efficiency and strategic realignment rather than widespread panic.
• 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 marked a notable abatement in the sheer volume of layoffs compared to 2023, yet still represented a substantial recalibration of the workforce following earlier periods of hyper-growth.
• 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 year was the apex of the post-pandemic correction, as companies grappled with overhiring, rising interest rates, and a pronounced downturn in venture capital funding.
• In 2022: More than 93,000 jobs were slashed from public and private tech companies in the U.S. This year marked the initial wave of significant layoffs, signaling an end to the pandemic-fueled hiring boom and the beginning of a more cautious economic outlook.

The trajectory from 2022 through 2026 reveals a distinct pattern: an initial shock in 2022, an intensified correction in 2023, a significant tapering in 2024, and then a stabilization with substantial, though less dramatic, ongoing adjustments in 2025 and 2026. This trend reflects the industry’s continuous adaptation to macroeconomic pressures, technological shifts like AI integration, and the evolving venture capital landscape.

Companies with the biggest workforce reductions in 2025

While specific names for 2025’s largest cuts are speculative at this point, historical trends suggest that major players in sectors experiencing significant market shifts or undergoing large-scale restructuring would likely top this list. Potential candidates could include:

• Legacy Tech Giants: Companies struggling to adapt to AI or cloud transitions, or those facing intense competition in their core markets.
• E-commerce Platforms: Firms that might continue to right-size after pandemic-era demand surges, particularly those facing increased logistical costs and competitive pressures.
• Hardware and Semiconductor Manufacturers: Companies affected by cyclical demand, supply chain issues, or intense R&D costs in areas like AI chips.
• Fintech or Proptech Companies: Sectors sensitive to interest rate fluctuations and regulatory changes, potentially leading to further consolidation or rationalization of operations.

Methodology

This Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is a living document, updated at least bi-weekly, sometimes more frequently, to capture the latest developments in the tech employment sphere. Our scope is focused on layoffs conducted by U.S.-based companies or those with a strong U.S. presence. This inclusive approach means we cover both agile startups and well-established publicly traded, tech-heavy corporations. Furthermore, we include companies headquartered elsewhere that maintain a sizable team in the United States, such as Klarna, even if the precise impact on their U.S. workforce from global layoffs isn’t always immediately clear.

The layoff and workforce figures presented are our best estimates, meticulously compiled from a variety of reliable sources. We primarily source our information from established media reports, our own in-depth reporting, official company announcements, social media posts from affected employees or company executives, and crowdsourced databases like layoffs.fyi. This multi-pronged approach ensures a comprehensive and accurate representation of the layoff landscape.

We recently updated our tracker to reflect the most recent round of layoffs each company has conducted, rather than just cumulative figures. This refined methodology allows us to more quickly and accurately track current layoff trends and identify immediate shifts in the employment market, which is why users might notice some adjustments in our most recent numbers. If an employee headcount or layoff figure cannot be confirmed to our rigorous standards, we explicitly note it as "unclear" to maintain transparency and accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a layoff?
A layoff, in its broadest sense, can be either a permanent termination of someone’s employment—usually for strategic, economic, or cost-saving reasons—or a temporary one, often due to a lack of sufficient work to justify a full workforce. In the context of the tech industry, layoffs generally fall into the permanent category, reflecting a strategic decision to reduce headcount. A mass layoff occurs when a significant number of a company’s employees are cut within a relatively short period, frequently as a direct response to broader economic conditions or major organizational restructuring.

Why are tech companies doing layoffs?
Tech layoffs began to surge dramatically in 2022 and have continued through 2023, 2024, and into 2025 for a multitude of interconnected reasons.

• Post-Pandemic Correction: Many companies, particularly in the e-commerce and collaboration software sectors, significantly expanded their employee headcount to meet surging consumer and business demand during the COVID-19 pandemic’s stay-at-home mandates. As daily life normalized, these companies found themselves overstaffed for a return to pre-pandemic growth trajectories.
• Macroeconomic Headwinds: Rising inflation, aggressive interest rate hikes by central banks, and fears of a looming recession have tightened access to capital and dampened consumer and business spending. This pressure has led companies to cut costs and improve profitability.
• Overhiring and Efficiency Drives: Large tech employers such as Salesforce and Google parent Alphabet acknowledged that their post-pandemic layoffs followed several years of rapid, often unchecked, hiring fueled by fast growth. Between 2019 and 2022, some companies nearly doubled their employee headcount. The recent cuts are partly a corrective measure to improve operational efficiency and streamline bloated structures.
• Venture Capital Downturn: Venture-backed startups have been particularly affected. Venture funding fell significantly after the peak in 2021, forcing startups to cut jobs as a way to extend their cash reserves and achieve profitability or at least a longer runway before needing new funding. Many startups that ran out of cash and couldn’t raise new funding found themselves filing for bankruptcy or shutting down entirely.
• Strategic Reorientation and AI Integration: As seen with Crypto.com, a strategic shift towards AI integration and automation is leading some companies to re-evaluate their workforce needs, prioritizing roles that align with these new technological frontiers and reducing those deemed less adaptable.

What were the biggest tech layoffs of 2024?
In 2024, Intel Corp. led the U.S. tech employers in terms of the largest number of people laid off, with the semiconductor giant cutting more than 15,000 employees as part of a broader restructuring and cost-cutting initiative. It was followed closely by electric-car maker Tesla, which shed over 14,000 roles amidst efficiency drives and market adjustments. Networking giant Cisco also undertook significant reductions, cutting more than 10,000 total roles.

What were the biggest tech layoffs of 2023?
In 2023, Amazon’s layoffs led the numbers with an estimated 16,000 roles cut across various divisions. Layoffs at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, totaled about 12,000, while Microsoft’s layoffs impacted approximately 10,000 workers. Facebook parent Meta also undertook substantial workforce reductions, cutting around 10,000 positions. Many venture-backed tech startups also conducted layoffs as venture capital investment fell sharply since its peak in 2021, and falling startup valuations factored into their decisions to preserve cash and streamline operations.

Are more tech layoffs coming?
Yes, more layoffs are likely coming, although perhaps at a less frantic pace than in 2023. While there are signs that the volume of layoffs is tapering, experts we have consulted expect job cuts in the tech sector to continue for the foreseeable future as large tech companies and startups continue to battle economic headwinds. Seed and early-stage startups, in particular, may continue to conduct layoffs in an attempt to extend their cash runways in what remains a difficult venture funding environment. The structural shift towards AI and automation also suggests ongoing re-evaluations of workforce composition. Tech layoffs noticeably increased at the start of 2022, ramped up significantly in 2023, waned somewhat in 2024, and have continued with strategic adjustments in 2025 and 2026.

What are signs that a company is planning layoffs?
Several indicators may suggest a company is more likely to conduct layoffs:

1. Hiring Freezes or Rescinded Offers: A sudden halt in recruitment or withdrawal of job offers.
2. Cost-Cutting Measures: Significant reductions in employee perks, travel budgets, office space, or other operational expenses.
3. Restructuring Announcements: Public statements about reorganizing departments, consolidating teams, or shifting strategic priorities.
4. Poor Financial Performance: Missed earnings targets, declining revenue growth, or warnings about future profitability.
5. Executive Departures or New Leadership: Changes in top management, particularly a new CEO focused on "efficiency."
6. Market Downturns or Industry-Specific Challenges: Broader economic slowdowns or specific pressures affecting the company’s sector.
7. Increased Focus on "Efficiency" or "Productivity": A shift in company rhetoric emphasizing streamlined operations.
8. Acquisition Integration: When one company acquires another, layoffs often occur to eliminate redundant roles.

When will layoffs stop?
Predicting an exact end to layoffs is challenging. However, the volume of layoffs is likely to decrease significantly when several factors align: a sustained period of economic stability and growth, a clearer and more positive outlook for interest rates, a resurgence of venture capital confidence, and the completion of major industry-wide shifts like the integration of AI. As companies reach optimal staffing levels for current market conditions and their strategic objectives, the necessity for widespread cuts will diminish, though localized adjustments will always be a part of a dynamic industry.

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 again in 2024, with around 95,667 reported tech layoffs, and continued in 2025 with approximately 127,000 workers impacted. Keep in mind, many companies do not report detailed layoff figures, and some companies continue hiring after cuts for positions deemed more beneficial or strategic to the business, creating a complex picture of the overall job market.

Is selling the company a good option to avoid layoffs?
Selling a company can be a viable strategy, particularly for startups facing funding challenges or seeking an exit. However, it doesn’t necessarily "avoid" layoffs; it often shifts them. In many acquisitions, particularly those involving larger companies buying smaller ones, redundancies in roles (e.g., HR, marketing, administrative functions, or even certain engineering teams) are common. The acquiring company often streamlines operations post-merger, which can lead to layoffs for employees of the acquired entity. While it might save some jobs by integrating key talent, it’s not a guarantee against workforce reductions.

What jobs are being cut in tech layoffs?
Tech layoffs have impacted a wide range of departments and roles across companies. Initially, many layoffs from the large tech giants were concentrated in "growth" roles like recruiting, sales, and marketing, which had expanded rapidly during the boom years. However, the cuts quickly extended to core functions. Many layoffs from the large tech giants were indeed software engineers, reflecting a re-evaluation of project priorities and a push for greater efficiency. Startups, often with leaner teams, tend to be more strategic, sometimes retaining engineers in favor of doing layoffs in their talent and recruiting, marketing, and other support departments.

Specifically, Google cut roles in its sales, recruiting, product, and engineering teams. Amazon’s layoffs included jobs in its AWS cloud unit, at its social video platform Twitch, and in its advertising department. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously said the company’s recruiting department would be among the first to see job cuts, but subsequent rounds affected a much broader spectrum of roles. The trend now also includes roles that are perceived as less adaptable to or replaceable by AI-driven solutions, as companies retool for future technological landscapes.

Where can I read recent tech layoff news?
Follow all of our comprehensive tech layoffs news here on Crunchbase News, and track which companies are cutting jobs with the frequently updated layoffs tracker provided above. Our dedicated section provides in-depth analysis, reports, and real-time updates on the evolving employment situation in the tech industry.

Where can I see layoffs in the last 24 hours?
While this Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is not updated hourly, it is updated weekly, and often more frequently, with the latest job cuts at U.S. tech employers. For real-time, often crowdsourced, information, resources like layoffs.fyi can provide more immediate, though sometimes less verified, updates. Our aim is to provide a curated and verified overview of significant layoffs rather than a minute-by-minute feed.

Which companies are hiring for open tech jobs?
Despite the ongoing layoffs in the sector, many tech companies continue to hire for open roles, particularly in strategic areas like AI, cloud infrastructure, and core engineering. Crunchbase offers an "Actively Hiring" filter that helps users identify companies with multiple open roles, indicating sustained growth or demand for specific skill sets. This feature allows job seekers and market analysts to understand where opportunities still exist amidst broader workforce reductions. You can find all of our job market-related news and analysis here on Crunchbase News.

Can I cite the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker?
Yes. We encourage and appreciate citations of our work. Please cite Crunchbase News as the source and include a direct link to this Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker for reference.