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Dive Brief:
U.S. technology companies announced 33,361 job cuts in April, bringing the sector’s total layoffs for the first four months of 2026 to 85,411 — a year-over-year increase of 33%, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in a report Thursday.
The surge comes as artificial intelligence remains the leading reason cited for workforce reductions across sectors for the second consecutive month. The trend has been especially pronounced in the tech industry, where major players such as Microsoft and Meta Platforms continue to invest heavily in AI.
“Technology companies continue to announce large-scale cuts and are leading all industries in layoff announcements,” Andy Challenger, chief revenue officer at the Chicago-based firm, said in the report. “They are also often citing AI spend and innovation. Regardless of whether individual jobs are being replaced by AI, the money for those roles is.”
