The tech industry continues to navigate a turbulent landscape, with the latest edition of the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker revealing ongoing workforce adjustments across major players and emerging startups alike. This past week saw familiar names like Apple, TikTok, and Netflix reappear on the tracker, signaling that even established giants are not immune to strategic realignments and economic pressures. The broader picture for the U.S. tech sector indicates a persistent trend of job cuts, with hundreds of thousands of roles impacted over the past few years, reflecting a shift from the rapid expansion of the pandemic era to a more disciplined focus on profitability and efficiency.

A Closer Look at Recent Cuts: Apple, TikTok, and Netflix Lead the Pack

Cupertino, California-based Apple once again finds itself at the forefront of the layoff tally, underscoring the challenges even for a company with vast resources. Reports from AppleInsider indicate the tech behemoth is paring approximately 200 positions, primarily impacting its nascent Apple Vision and long-standing Siri teams. The rationale behind these cuts points to a dual challenge: the significant financial strain associated with producing immersive video content for the Vision Pro headset, and the ongoing evolutionary changes in AI integration affecting the Siri division. This move suggests Apple is meticulously refining its strategy for next-generation products like the Vision Pro, potentially consolidating efforts or re-evaluating the commercial viability of certain content initiatives, while also adapting its AI teams to a rapidly evolving competitive landscape dominated by generative AI.

TikTok, the short-form video entertainment and social media giant headquartered in Singapore and Los Angeles, marks another return to the tracker. This time, the cuts are concentrated in and around Seattle, affecting approximately 75 workers. As reported by GeekWire, these layoffs predominantly target the company’s TikTok Shop and global e-commerce divisions. This reduction highlights the intense competition in the e-commerce sector and perhaps a strategic recalibration of TikTok’s ambitious expansion into online shopping, an area where it has invested heavily but faces formidable rivals and complex logistical challenges. The company may be streamlining operations to focus on core strengths or areas with higher immediate returns.

Online streaming pioneer Netflix also reappears on the tracker, signaling a strategic shift within its burgeoning gaming division. Polygon reports that Netflix is shutting down another of its gaming studios, the Los Angeles-based Night School Studio. Furthermore, plans are in motion to close Moonloot, a studio based in Helsinki. These closures reflect Netflix’s evolving strategy in the gaming space, indicating a pivot towards titles aimed at "kids, parties, and other mainstream audiences." While the exact number of affected Los Angeles workers remains unclear, these decisions underscore the difficulty of breaking into the highly competitive gaming market and the company’s continuous search for a profitable and audience-appropriate niche within interactive entertainment.

Startup Shutdowns: Relay and BlocPower

Beyond major tech players, the tracker also highlights the vulnerability of startups in a challenging funding environment. This week brings news of two notable tech shutdowns.

Relay, a San Francisco-based workflow automation tool, is ceasing operations. TechCrunch reported that the company will discontinue access to its app on September 14. In a fortunate turn for some of its employees, including founder and CEO Jacob Bank, a portion of the affected workforce will transition to Google, joining the Chrome team. This outcome, while bittersweet, reflects the value of the talent and technology developed at Relay, even as the standalone venture could not sustain itself.

Brooklyn, New York-based energy technology provider BlocPower is also calling it quits. Latitude Media reported that the climate tech startup has informed shareholders of its decision to shut down and liquidate assets. BlocPower aimed to make clean energy accessible in underserved communities by electrifying buildings, a mission that, despite its societal importance, evidently faced insurmountable financial or operational hurdles in the current economic climate for venture-backed companies.

New Additions to the Tracker

[As the original content had no specific companies listed here, I will omit this section for the rewrite to avoid fabricating data.]

Tech Layoffs: A Multi-Year Overview (2022-2026)

The consistent drumbeat of layoffs in the tech sector over the past few years paints a clear picture of a market undergoing significant rebalancing. Crunchbase News meticulously tracks these workforce reductions, providing a crucial lens into the industry’s health.

By the Numbers:

• Weeks ended August 26, 2026: At least 410 U.S. tech sector employees were laid off or scheduled for layoffs, according to Crunchbase News’ tally. This weekly figure, while lower than peak periods, demonstrates that the trend of workforce adjustments is far from over.
• 2025: Around 127,000 workers were let go from U.S.-based tech companies. This figure suggests a continued, albeit slightly moderated, pace of layoffs compared to the preceding years.
• 2024: At least 95,667 workers at U.S.-based tech companies lost their jobs. This year saw a noticeable abatement from the peak, indicating some stabilization but still a significant number of cuts.
• 2023: This was the most brutal year for tech employment, with more than 191,000 workers in U.S.-based tech companies (or tech companies with a large U.S. workforce) impacted by mass job cuts. This surge was a direct consequence of over-hiring during the pandemic and subsequent economic headwinds.
• 2022: The initial signs of the market correction appeared, with more than 93,000 jobs slashed from public and private tech companies in the U.S. This marked the end of an unprecedented hiring boom.

The cumulative impact of these layoffs is staggering, reshaping the talent landscape and forcing companies to adopt leaner operational models.

Methodology: Tracking the Pulse of Tech Employment

The Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is a dynamic resource, meticulously compiled to provide the most accurate picture of workforce reductions in the U.S. tech sector. Our methodology focuses on U.S.-based companies or those with a strong U.S. presence, encompassing both nimble startups and publicly traded tech giants. We also include companies headquartered elsewhere that maintain a significant U.S. team, such as Klarna, even when the precise impact on their U.S. workforce isn’t fully detailed.

Layoff and workforce figures are presented as best estimates, drawing from a diverse range of reliable sources. We leverage media reports, our own investigative reporting, social media posts, and the crowdsourced database layoffs.fyi. This multi-faceted approach helps us capture a comprehensive view, recognizing that not all companies publicly disclose detailed layoff figures. The tracker is updated at least bi-weekly, if not more frequently, to reflect the most recent developments. We continuously refine our tracking methods to ensure accuracy and relevance, particularly by reflecting the latest rounds of layoffs each company conducts. When an employee headcount cannot be definitively confirmed to our standards, it is noted as "unclear" to maintain transparency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a layoff?
A layoff is typically a permanent termination of employment, primarily driven by a company’s need to reduce costs or restructure, rather than an employee’s performance. It can also be temporary if there’s insufficient work, though in tech, it’s usually permanent. A mass layoff signifies a substantial reduction in a company’s workforce within a short period, often triggered by broader economic conditions or strategic shifts.

Why are tech companies doing layoffs?
Tech layoffs began surging in 2022 and have persisted. Companies cite a confluence of factors:

1. Post-Pandemic Correction: Many e-commerce and digital service companies significantly over-hired during the COVID-19 pandemic to meet surging demand. As daily life normalized, they found themselves overstaffed.
2. Rapid Growth & Reckless Hiring: Large tech firms like Salesforce, Google, and Amazon experienced several years of hyper-growth, doubling employee headcounts between 2019-2022. Layoffs became a mechanism to correct this rapid, sometimes unsustainable, expansion.
3. Economic Headwinds: Concerns about slowing sales, rising interest rates, and the looming threat of a recession prompted companies to cut costs and improve profitability.
4. Venture Capital Winter: For venture-backed startups, a dramatic decline in venture funding since the 2021 peak meant a renewed focus on cash preservation and extending runway. Many startups that failed to secure new funding faced bankruptcy or outright shutdowns.

What were the biggest tech layoffs of 2024?
In 2024, Intel Corp. led U.S. tech employers with over 15,000 layoffs, reflecting the broader challenges in the semiconductor industry. Electric-car maker Tesla followed closely with more than 14,000 roles cut, indicative of its own restructuring and market pressures. Networking giant Cisco also made substantial cuts, exceeding 10,000 roles.
In 2023, Amazon topped the list with 16,000 roles eliminated. Alphabet (Google’s parent) cut about 12,000, while Microsoft and Meta (Facebook’s parent) each reduced their workforces by approximately 10,000. These figures underscore a systemic re-evaluation of staffing levels across the tech ecosystem.

Are more tech layoffs coming?
Yes, more layoffs are highly probable. While the sheer volume of layoffs may be tapering from its 2023 peak, industry experts anticipate job cuts to continue as tech companies, both large and small, grapple with ongoing economic headwinds. Seed and early-stage startups, particularly, may resort to further layoffs to extend their cash runways in what remains a difficult venture funding environment. The trend, which began in early 2022, intensified in 2023, moderated somewhat in 2024, and has continued into 2025 and 2026, suggesting a prolonged period of adjustment rather than a sharp cessation.

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

• Hiring Freeze or Slowdown: A sudden halt or significant reduction in recruitment efforts is a primary red flag.
• Restructuring Announcements: Major organizational changes or mergers often precede workforce reductions.
• Executive Departures: A high turnover of senior leadership can signal instability or strategic shifts leading to layoffs.
• Financial Performance Issues: Declining revenue, missed earnings targets, or pressure from investors to cut costs.
• Increased Focus on "Efficiency" or "Productivity": Management rhetoric shifting towards cost-cutting measures without clear growth initiatives.
• Discontinuation of Projects/Products: Shutting down non-performing or experimental divisions.
• Sale of Assets or Business Units: Divesting parts of the company can lead to consolidation and layoffs.

When will layoffs stop?
It’s unlikely that layoffs will "stop" abruptly. Instead, the tech job market is likely to normalize, with a more balanced approach to hiring and firing. The era of unchecked growth and aggressive talent acquisition witnessed during the pandemic is over. Future layoffs might be more targeted, focusing on underperforming divisions or roles made redundant by automation and AI, rather than broad, company-wide reductions.

How many recent tech layoffs have there been?
Tech layoffs surged during the 2022 market correction, with an estimated 93,000 U.S. tech workers laid off. This figure more than doubled in 2023, reaching approximately 191,000 U.S. tech employees, according to our tracker. Layoffs abated somewhat in 2024, with around 95,000 reported tech layoffs, and continue into 2025 and 2026, albeit at a reduced pace compared to the 2023 peak. It’s important to remember that these figures are estimates, as many companies do not report detailed layoff numbers, and some continue hiring for critical roles even while cutting others.

What jobs are being cut in tech layoffs?
Tech layoffs have impacted virtually all departments, but the emphasis varies between large companies and startups.

• Large Tech Giants: Many layoffs, particularly in 2023, disproportionately affected software engineers, who were in high demand during the boom. Roles in sales, recruiting, product management, and engineering have also seen significant cuts at companies like Google and Amazon. Amazon’s AWS cloud unit, Twitch, and advertising departments, for example, saw reductions. Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg specifically highlighted recruiting as an early target for job cuts.
• Startups: Venture-backed startups often prioritize retaining core engineering talent. Consequently, layoffs tend to hit talent and recruiting, marketing, sales, and administrative departments more heavily as they strive to extend their runway with a core product development team.

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 comprehensive layoffs tracker provided above.

Where can I see layoffs in the last 24 hours?
While the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is not updated daily, it is refreshed weekly, and often more frequently, to capture the latest job cuts at U.S. tech employers as soon as reliable information becomes available.

Which companies are hiring for open tech jobs?
Despite the widespread layoffs, many tech companies continue to hire for open roles deemed essential for their strategic growth. Crunchbase offers an "Actively Hiring" filter that helps users identify companies with multiple open positions, allowing job seekers and industry observers to pinpoint areas of continued investment and growth within the tech sector. You can find more information about the job market and hiring trends here.

Can I cite the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker?
Yes. Please cite Crunchbase News and include a direct link to this Tech Layoffs Tracker in your publications or reports.