Global Tech Sector Witnesses Massive Job Cuts in Early 2026
As we progress through the second month of 2026, the global technology industry is facing a significant wave of workforce reductions. According to data compiled by Layoffs.fyi, nearly 30,000 jobs have been eliminated in the first 40 days of the year, marking a concerning trend for the sector.
Amazon Announces Largest Layoff of the Year
Online retail behemoth Amazon has executed the single largest layoff in 2026, announcing the elimination of approximately 16,000 roles in late January. This move represents the company's second-largest job cut, following a reduction of 14,000 positions in October of the previous year.
In a memo to employees, HR chief Beth Galetti explained that teams which had not completed restructuring in October have now finalized the process. She assured that this would not become a recurring pattern but emphasized that adjustments would continue "in a world that's changing faster than ever."
Salesforce and Meta Follow with Significant Reductions
Salesforce has quietly reduced its workforce by nearly 1,000 employees, as reported by Business Insider. The layoffs impacted various teams, including marketing, product management, data analytics, and the Agentforce AI product. Many affected employees shared on LinkedIn that their roles had been eliminated, with at least nine posts confirming job losses across different departments.
Meta has also announced a reduction of around 1,500 staff members. A company spokesperson stated in an email, "We said last month that we were shifting some of our investment from metaverse toward wearables. This is part of that effort, and we plan to reinvest the savings to support the growth of wearables this year." This decision aligns with Meta's strategic pivot from metaverse development to wearable technology.
Other Major Tech Companies Announce Layoffs
Beyond Amazon, Salesforce, and Meta, several other prominent technology firms have reported workforce reductions in early 2026:
- Workday cut about 400 jobs.
- Autodesk announced layoffs affecting roughly 1,000 roles.
- Pinterest reduced its headcount by approximately 700 employees.
- In the travel and consumer internet space, Expedia carried out two rounds of layoffs, totaling 200 jobs, while Zillow cut around 200 positions.
- Peloton announced job cuts affecting about 11% of its workforce, and Vimeo also reported layoffs.
International Tech Firms Also Impacted
The layoff wave has extended globally, with companies across various regions announcing reductions:
- ASML cut around 1,700 jobs in the Netherlands.
- Ericsson reduced about 1,600 roles in Sweden.
- Germany-based AI company Aleph Alpha eliminated approximately 50 jobs.
- In Israel, Playtika announced layoffs affecting about 500 employees, with eToro and StoreDot also reporting job cuts.
Smaller Startups and Crypto Firms Not Spared
The impact of these layoffs is not limited to large corporations. Smaller startups and crypto firms, such as Entropy and Polygon, have also reported workforce reductions. This indicates that the trend affects companies of all sizes, funding stages, and sectors early in 2026, highlighting broader economic challenges within the tech industry.
