Big Q1 tech cuts by the numbers

Tech companies cut roughly 78,557 jobs in the first quarter of 2026, and one widely cited analysis said about 47.9% of those cuts were tied to artificial intelligence and automation. (metaintro.com) A separate tracker, Layoffs.fyi, counted 70,474 tech job losses in the first three months of 2026, up from 29,845 in the same period of 2025 and 57,269 in the first quarter of 2024. (finance.yahoo.com) The gap between those totals comes from different methods: the 78,557 figure was reported from a RationalFX analysis cited by Nikkei Asia, while Layoffs.fyi logs announced tech and startup cuts on an ongoing basis. Both tallies point to a much sharper first quarter than last year. (metaintro.com) (layoffs.fyi) The biggest shift in this layoff cycle is the explanation companies and analysts are using. In 2023 and 2024, cuts were often framed as post-pandemic overhiring; in early 2026, artificial intelligence is increasingly being cited as a direct reason for eliminating roles. (techspot.com) (forbes.com) Some executives and analysts dispute how much of the damage can already be pinned on artificial intelligence. Babak Hodjat, Chief Technology Officer of Artificial Intelligence at Cognizant, said the technology’s full labor impact is still months away, suggesting some companies may be using artificial intelligence as a cover for broader restructuring and cost cuts. (techspot.com) The fallout is not only financial. Calcalist reported that Oracle laid off tens of thousands of employees by email on March 30, 2026, at 6 a.m., and blocked internal access immediately, a process workplace experts told the outlet can trigger a “crisis of trust” among the employees who remain. (calcalistech.com) That trust problem has become part of the story because the cuts are hitting while many tech companies are asking smaller teams to absorb more work, return to offices more often, and adapt to new artificial intelligence tools at the same time. Calcalist described the result as a more fearful and less secure workplace for workers who stay. (calcalistech.com) Salesforce is one of the clearest examples of how these pressures are colliding. Multiple reports published April 12 and April 13 said the company is planning about 4,000 layoffs, mainly in customer support and marketing, while dealing with a third-party data breach and continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence products. (peoplematters.in) (firstpost.com) Reporting on Salesforce’s plans remains based on secondary accounts, and the company’s public investor relations page did not appear in the search results to confirm the number directly. But the reports agree on the central point: companies are cutting staff while redirecting money toward artificial intelligence, even as security failures and morale problems create new risks for the workers left behind. (peoplematters.in) (layoffs.fyi)