2026 Tech Layoffs Have Passed All of 2025, But the Trackers Disagree on How Many

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Tech layoffs in 2026 have already passed the full-year total for 2025, but how far past depends on who is counting. If you are trying to understand the job market, it helps to know why the headline numbers disagree.

Four trackers, four totals

Tracker	2026 count	Coverage
Layoffs.fyi	128,536 employees at 299 companies	Through Sept 10
Challenger, Gray & Christmas	155,126 US tech job cuts	Through August; up 52% year over year
TrueUp	190,077 people across 623 layoffs	Running total at time of writing
SkillSyncer	225,122 workers across 519 events	As of late September

For comparison, Layoffs.fyi counted 122,606 tech layoffs for all of 2025, so its 2026 total had already passed that by September, as Second Talent’s summary notes.

Is AI Really Behind the Entry-Level Tech Slump? What the Evidence Supports and What It Doesn't

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Companies increasingly cite AI when they cut staff, and headlines about struggling computer science graduates usually do the same. But “AI was mentioned” and “AI caused it” are different claims. Here is what the sources support.

Evidence that points to AI

More cuts are attributed to AI. Challenger data cited by Computerworld shows AI blamed for 40% of tech job cuts in May, up from 7% in January.
Employers are shifting code work to AI. The AP reports that Microsoft, Meta and Google are using AI for a larger share of code writing.
Some cuts are genuinely driven by AI adoption. The SkillSyncer tracker says this applies to many layoffs at the biggest companies.

Evidence that points elsewhere

The slowdown started earlier. An On EdTech analysis, published as sponsored content on Higher Ed Dive, argues that the downturn in new-graduate hiring began before generative AI was widely adopted, and that AI may be speeding it up without being the main driver. Because it is sponsored content, weigh it accordingly.
Too many graduates for the openings. The AP says the elevated jobless rate partly reflects the large number of students who enrolled during the coding boom.
A pandemic hangover. Futurism describes companies embracing AI tools while cutting entry-level roles and pulling back from COVID-era over-hiring.
Blame can be convenient. SkillSyncer acknowledges that some companies attribute to AI cuts they would have made regardless.

What is still unclear