Nasdaq 100 slips into correction
The Nasdaq 100 has entered a correction amid Big Tech weakness — a shift that could squeeze startup funding and tighten hiring timelines in ecosystems like LA. (x.com)
Nasdaq‑100 officially slipped into correction on March 27, 2026 after falling 1.1% to 23,335.13 and moving about 11% below its Oct. 29, 2025 peak. (bloomberg.com) Microsoft and Meta have been two of the largest drags since the October peak—Microsoft down roughly 34% and Meta down about 29%—while Nvidia has fallen nearly 19% over the same stretch. (bloomberg.com) U.S. startup funding cooled sharply in March with roughly $13 billion raised so far this month, a pullback driven largely by the absence of the mega‑rounds that inflated February totals. (news.crunchbase.com) Los Angeles recorded more than $546 million in disclosed startup rounds in February 2026 across aerospace, AI, women’s health and clean‑energy deals, but the March national slowdown raises downside risk to later‑stage LA rounds. (latechwatch.com) Venture firms are responding by reassessing deployments and emphasizing capital efficiency and fundamentals for growth‑stage checks, a shift that followed public‑market volatility tied to geopolitical and interest‑rate concerns. (tice.news)(news.crunchbase.com) Hiring signals have already tightened: tech layoff trackers show 195 layoff events in 2026 affecting about 59,841 workers as of March 26, 2026, suggesting startups and larger tech employers are trimming or pausing roles. (trueup.io) With investors demanding clearer returns on AI and capex, interview focus at both startups and Big Tech is shifting toward candidates who can demonstrate cost‑aware system design, production efficiency, and metrics‑driven product decisions; investors expect profit‑oriented scaling and stronger unit economics from portfolio companies. (bloomberg.com)(tice.news) Expect hiring teams to favor flexible resourcing models and fractional recruiting during the slowdown, meaning open roles may be filled as contract or short‑term engagements before converting to full‑time—companies pursuing runway extension are prioritizing hires that lower burn and accelerate revenue. (dover.com)(news.crunchbase.com)
