ToplineA singular reason has been blamed more than any other for companies cutting 60,000 jobs in March of this year, career services firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas reported Thursday, reflecting a pattern of sweeping job losses that are leaving tech CEOs parroting the same explanation: artificial intelligence.Women walk past an illuminated sign that reads: "AI changes everything", in reference to artificial intelligence, at the Oracle stand at the 2026 ITB tourism trade fair on March 4, 2026.Getty ImagesKey FactsU.S.-based employers announced 60,620 job cuts in March, according to Challenger, up 25% from 48,307 cuts announced in February. AI was the leading reason for cutting jobs, cited in 25% of announcements, followed by closings, restructuring and economic conditions. The tech sector led job cuts in both March (18,720 cuts) and in the first quarter of the year, when more than 52,000 positions were eliminated. Transportation, health care, education, finance and media followed as the sectors with the most job losses so far this year.Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here: joinsubtext.com/forbes.What Companies Have Announced Ai-Related Job Cuts This Year? Larry Ellison's Oracle is laying off thousands of workers, CNBC reported on Tuesday citing people familiar with the matter, as the company heavily invests in building out AI infrastructure. Meta, headed by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, is planning layoffs that could impact 20% of the company, according to Reuters, which also reported the cuts are meant to offset the costs of AI-assisted workers. Software company Atlassian cut roughly 10% of its workforce in March to help fund further investment in AI and leaders at Block, Jack Dorsey's company, recently cut almost half the company’s staff in a major restructuring that will prioritize AI. Other companies that have linked cuts to AI in recent months include Pinterest, Wisetech, Crypto.com and Amazon. Crucial Quote“I need less heads,” Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said when announcing massive customer support layoffs and discussing the impact of AI on Salesforce operation last year. Key BackgroundCompanies have been increasingly investing in automation for years, but AI started to be blamed in earnest as the explicit reason for mass job cuts in late 2023 into 2024. Companies started explaining layoffs in the name of “AI-driven efficiency” or other such reasons, and nearly 100,000 job cuts have since been blamed on AI, per Challenger. Companies that replace workers with AI often say they're able to do the same work with fewer employees or are able to fully automate specific tasks, rather than replace workers in a one-to-one exchange. Entry-level positions with repetitive or structured tasks have been targeted at many companies, experts say, and some have warned that specific roles, like those in software development and customer service, are more ripe for AI automation than others. Big Number92 million. That's how many jobs will be displaced by AI by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025.