Tech layoffs in 2026 near 197,000 as capital shifts toward AI
Layoffs in the tech sector have surpassed 197,000 so far in 2026, according to the Trueup tracker, amid record profits and massive investment in AI data centers. In the US, Challenger, Gray & Christmas counts 165,925 announced layoffs through September, 54% more than in 2025, while hiring totals just 22,361. Oracle, Cisco, Microsoft and Intel are among the companies cutting jobs, and Sam Altman warned of "AI washing" when attributing to AI layoffs that would have happened anyway.
In 40 seconds
- Trueup counts more than 197,000 tech layoffs so far in 2026, above last year's figure at the start of the third quarter.
- In the US, Challenger records 165,925 announced layoffs through September, 54% more than in 2025, with tech accounting for 29% of all cuts.
- Sector hiring totals 22,361 this year, more than seven times less than the cuts.
IASummary generated by artificial intelligence from a story by Xataka. It may contain errors: the original source prevails.




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