In early 2026, U.S. layoff announcements have actually fallen noticeably — overall job-cut plans from January through April totaled roughly 300,000, about half the level of the same period in 20251. However, that broad decline masks a sharply different story in the technology sector. Over 85,000 tech-sector employees have already been laid off this year2, driven largely by companies restructuring around artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. Major tech firms from Meta t
