As the third quarter of 2026 draws to a close, the tech industry continues to navigate a landscape marked by strategic restructuring and persistent economic headwinds. This week alone, at least 2,400 U.S. tech workers faced the stark reality of job cuts or received warnings of impending reductions, adding to a cumulative tally that underscores a sustained period of workforce recalibration across the sector. Major players like Oracle, Intel, Microsoft, and Disney are among those making significant adjustments, reflecting a broader trend of companies prioritizing efficiency and adapting to evolving market demands.

Layoff Tally Rises With More RIFs From Oracle, Intel, Microsoft And Disney

Austin-based enterprise tech giant Oracle leads this week’s count with a substantial layoff impacting approximately 800 workers. The cuts appear to be a continuation of the company’s efforts to streamline operations, particularly following major acquisitions like Cerner. Reports indicate that 359 workers in Washington state, encompassing both its Seattle facility and remote employees, were affected. Additionally, 441 jobs were eliminated in California, highlighting a geographically dispersed impact across key operational hubs. These reductions often signal a refocusing of resources, potentially towards cloud infrastructure and AI initiatives, while shedding legacy roles or areas deemed less strategic.

Microsoft re-enters the tracker this week with a report detailing around 500 job cuts. A significant portion of these, 268 positions, were reportedly from its Xbox gaming division, suggesting a recalibration within its entertainment and gaming strategy amidst shifting consumer spending habits and increased competition. Other units, including its pivotal Cloud + AI division, also saw reductions. Given that this is a global cut, the precise number of U.S.-based workers affected within the Redmond, Washington-headquartered company remains unclear, yet it underscores a continuous drive for efficiency even within its high-growth segments. Such cuts often accompany a re-evaluation of project priorities, integration challenges, or a desire to optimize spending in specific areas.

Santa Clara, California-based semiconductor titan Intel reported cutting 52 workers from its payroll across four separate locations within its headquarters city, effective this week. While seemingly smaller in scale compared to its past large-scale reductions, these ongoing, targeted cuts reflect Intel’s persistent efforts to navigate a challenging semiconductor market, intense competition from rivals, and significant investments in new fabrication technologies and AI. These micro-adjustments are often part of a larger, long-term strategy to improve profitability and operational agility.

The human resources and technology function divisions at The Walt Disney Co. have been pared by about 300 workers. This move, reported in conjunction with the conclusion of the company’s voluntary early retirement offer to employees meeting specific criteria, is indicative of Disney’s broader cost-cutting initiatives. The entertainment conglomerate has been intensely focused on achieving profitability in its streaming services and optimizing its overall operational structure in a post-pandemic landscape, where traditional revenue streams have faced disruption and new digital ventures require significant investment. Layoffs in HR and tech often point to automation, outsourcing, or consolidation of functions.

The single shutdown making our list this week is for Oakland, California-based Pulley, a cap table management platform, which announced its cessation of operations effective Dec. 8. The closure of a venture-backed startup like Pulley is a stark reminder of the challenging funding environment that continues to impact early-stage companies. Despite offering a crucial service for managing equity and investor relations, many startups struggle to secure follow-on funding in a market that has become increasingly risk-averse, leading to difficult decisions about viability.

New additions

The following companies were added to the tracker this week: [No new additions provided in the original text, so this section remains empty as per the prompt’s content constraint.]

Tech Layoffs: US Companies That Cut Jobs 2022-2026

By the numbers
The cumulative impact of these workforce reductions paints a clear picture of a tech sector in flux. Layoffs during the weeks ended Sept. 30, 2026, totaled at least 2,400 U.S. tech sector employees, per a Crunchbase News tally. This figure, while significant, is part of a larger, multi-year trend. In 2025, approximately 127,000 workers were let go from U.S.-based tech companies. This followed 2024, which saw at least 95,667 workers at U.S.-based tech companies losing their jobs. The peak of this recent layoff cycle was in 2023, with more than 191,000 workers in U.S.-based tech companies (or those with a large U.S. workforce) laid off. The trend began to accelerate in 2022, when more than 93,000 jobs were slashed from public and private tech companies in the U.S. These numbers collectively illustrate a sector grappling with significant adjustments after a period of unprecedented growth.

Companies with the biggest workforce reductions in 2025
[No companies listed in the original text for 2025, so this section remains empty as per the prompt’s content constraint.]

Methodology

This tracker is a dedicated resource for monitoring layoffs conducted by U.S.-based companies or those with a strong U.S. presence, updated at least bi-weekly to ensure timeliness. Our scope includes both burgeoning startups and established, publicly traded tech-heavy corporations. We also extend our coverage to companies headquartered internationally but maintaining a substantial team within the United States, such as Klarna, even when the exact impact on their U.S. workforce is not fully delineated.

Layoff and workforce figures presented are carefully constructed best estimates, derived from a rigorous process of reporting. We meticulously source information from a variety of credible channels including mainstream media reports, our own investigative journalism, direct social media posts from affected individuals or company representatives, and crowdsourced databases like layoffs.fyi. This multi-pronged approach helps us build as comprehensive and accurate a picture as possible.

We recently refined our layoffs tracker to reflect the most current round of layoffs each company has undertaken. This methodological enhancement allows for more agile and precise tracking of layoff trends, which may account for some observable shifts in our recent reported numbers. In instances where an employee headcount cannot be unequivocally confirmed to meet our stringent standards for accuracy, we transparently note it as "unclear."

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a layoff?
A layoff typically refers to the temporary or permanent termination of employment, primarily driven by economic conditions or strategic restructuring rather than individual performance. It’s often implemented for cost-saving reasons or when there’s insufficient work to sustain a full workforce. In the tech industry, layoffs generally fall into the permanent category, commonly referred to as a "reduction in force" (RIF). A mass layoff signifies a significant number of employees being cut within a short timeframe, frequently as a direct consequence of broader economic pressures.

Why are tech companies doing layoffs?
Tech layoffs, which surged dramatically in 2022 and continued through 2023 and 2024, are rooted in a confluence of factors. Many companies, particularly those in the e-commerce sector, experienced explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic’s stay-at-home mandates, leading to aggressive hiring sprees that nearly doubled their employee headcounts. As daily life normalized, these companies found themselves overstaffed relative to actual consumer demand. Large tech employers like Salesforce and Google parent Alphabet acknowledged that their post-pandemic layoffs followed several years of hyper-growth. Beyond overhiring, slowing sales, rising inflation, increased interest rates, and fears of a looming recession have compelled companies to downsize. Venture-backed startups, on the other hand, implemented job cuts primarily to preserve cash reserves and extend their runways, as venture funding significantly contracted after its 2021 peak. Many startups that couldn’t secure new funding eventually faced bankruptcy or outright shutdowns.

What were the biggest tech layoffs of 2024?
In 2024, Intel Corp. led the U.S. tech sector in terms of job cuts, laying off over 15,000 employees as it continued its ambitious transformation amidst fierce competition and market shifts. Close behind was electric-car manufacturer Tesla, which cut more than 14,000 roles, signaling adjustments to production goals and operational efficiency. Networking giant Cisco also undertook significant reductions, shedding over 10,000 total roles. In 2023, Amazon’s layoffs were the largest, impacting 16,000 roles across various divisions, including its cloud unit AWS and advertising department. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, cut approximately 12,000 jobs, while Microsoft’s layoffs totaled around 10,000 workers. Facebook parent Meta also saw significant reductions of about 10,000 roles. Beyond these giants, numerous venture-backed tech startups initiated layoffs as venture capital investment continued its sharp decline, leading to reduced valuations and increased pressure to operate profitably.

Are more tech layoffs coming?
Yes, the consensus among experts is that more layoffs are likely on the horizon. While there are some indications that the sheer volume of layoffs might be tapering off from its 2023 peak, analysts and industry watchers expect job cuts in the tech sector to persist for the foreseeable future. Large tech companies and startups alike continue to grapple with persistent economic headwinds, including inflation, interest rate volatility, and geopolitical uncertainties. Seed and early-stage startups, in particular, may continue to implement layoffs to extend their cash runways in what remains a challenging venture funding environment. The tech sector has been noticeably adjusting since the start of 2022, with cuts ramping up in 2023, moderating somewhat in 2024, and continuing steadily into 2025 and 2026.

What are signs that a company is planning layoffs?
Several indicators may suggest a company is more likely to conduct layoffs: a sudden slowdown or freeze in hiring, particularly for non-critical roles; the cancellation or indefinite postponement of significant projects; public statements from leadership emphasizing "efficiency," "optimization," or "cost-cutting measures"; a noticeable tightening of budgets across departments, including reduced travel, training, and perks; a decline in company revenue or slower-than-expected growth; a significant drop in stock price for public companies; and the implementation of voluntary early retirement programs or internal transfers being frozen.

When will layoffs stop?
Predicting an exact end to the current layoff cycle is challenging. While the frenetic pace of cuts seen in late 2022 and early 2023 may not be sustained, the tech industry appears to be settling into a "new normal" where strategic workforce adjustments are a more regular occurrence. Layoffs will likely continue as companies adapt to a more measured growth environment, integrate new technologies like AI, and respond to ongoing economic pressures. Rather than a complete halt, we might see a shift to more targeted, smaller-scale reductions aimed at specific underperforming divisions or roles made redundant by automation.

How many recent tech layoffs have there been?
Tech layoffs began surging with the market correction in 2022, with an estimated 93,000 U.S. tech workers laid off that year. This figure more than doubled in 2023, reaching approximately 200,000 U.S. tech employees, according to our Tech Layoffs Tracker. Layoffs abated somewhat in 2024, with around 95,000 reported tech layoffs, and have continued at a notable pace into 2025 and 2026, with 127,000 and 2,400 (for the current week) respectively. It’s important to remember that many companies do not publicly report detailed layoff figures, and some companies continue strategic hiring for critical positions even after workforce reductions.

Is selling the company a good option to avoid layoffs?
Selling a company can be a complex strategic decision influenced by numerous factors, including market conditions, valuation, and the acquiring company’s integration plans. While an acquisition might, in some cases, provide stability and resources that could prevent immediate layoffs, it often leads to redundancies post-merger as the acquiring company consolidates operations and eliminates overlapping roles. Therefore, selling the company is not a guaranteed way to avoid layoffs; rather, it often shifts the timing and nature of workforce adjustments.

What jobs are being cut in tech layoffs?
Tech layoffs have impacted a broad spectrum of departments and roles across companies. Initially, many large tech giants focused cuts on software engineers, particularly those in less critical projects or overstaffed teams. However, startups have often prioritized retaining engineers, instead cutting roles in talent and recruiting, marketing, sales, and other non-engineering departments to preserve core product development capabilities. Google, for instance, cut roles across its sales, recruiting, product, and engineering teams. Amazon’s layoffs included jobs in its AWS cloud unit, its social video platform Twitch, and its advertising department. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously stated that the company’s recruiting department would be among the first to see job cuts. There’s also an increasing trend of roles being eliminated due to automation or a strategic pivot towards AI-focused positions, leading to a reallocation of talent within the industry.

Where can I read recent tech layoff news?
For continuous coverage and in-depth analysis of the evolving tech job market, follow all of our tech layoffs news here and stay informed by tracking which companies are cutting jobs with the comprehensive layoffs tracker provided above.

Where can I see layoffs in the last 24 hours?
While this Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker is not updated daily, it is diligently updated weekly, and often more frequently, to capture the latest job cuts at U.S. tech employers as quickly as possible, providing a near real-time overview of significant workforce changes.

Which companies are hiring for open tech jobs?
Despite the ongoing wave of layoffs, many tech companies continue to actively recruit for critical open roles, recognizing the need to invest in strategic growth areas. You can find out more about Crunchbase’s Actively Hiring filter and how it can help you identify companies with multiple open positions, indicating ongoing recruitment efforts. For all news related to the job market and hiring trends in tech, you can find our dedicated section here.

Can I cite the Crunchbase Tech Layoffs Tracker?
Yes, you are encouraged to cite the Crunchbase News Tech Layoffs Tracker in your work. Please ensure you attribute Crunchbase News as the source and include a direct link to this Tech Layoffs Tracker page for reference.