Tech companies have laid off 134,917 employees at 328 companies in 2026 as of October 21, according to Layoffs.fyi. That is already more than the 122,606 the tracker recorded for all of 2025, and works out to about 459 tech jobs lost every day this year.

More cuts are lined up. Microsoft has offered buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees, about 27% of its workforce. Barclays and American Express have also announced cuts in the past week, and both named AI as one of the reasons.

The 2026 figure is still about half of 2023, when 265,660 tech workers were laid off after the pandemic hiring boom. This year fewer companies are cutting, but each is cutting deeper: 299 companies by September, against 1,194 in 2023.

Counts also vary by tracker. TrueUp, which includes startups and more non-US employers, puts the 2026 figure at 196,349.

The biggest single reduction came at Oracle, where the workforce fell 13%, or about 21,000 employees, in fiscal 2026. Amazon announced 16,000 corporate job cuts in January. Meta cut roughly 8,000 employees, about 10% of its workforce, partly to offset heavy AI spending.

Eligible Microsoft employees include senior leaders up to vice presidents. Staff in the US, UK, Canada and India must accept between the first week of December and December 31. In the US, the package includes a minimum of 8 weeks’ pay, continued stock vesting, healthcare and career services.

Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said the offer gives employees “a new choice to make that transition now with support”.

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