The tech industry is once again experiencing a massive wave of layoffs in 2026. TrueUp data indicates that as of May 25th, an alarming 142,985 individuals have been affected by AI-related job cuts. This problem is escalating monthly, with the tracker recording 340 rounds of layoffs across tech companies, resulting in an average of 986 workers losing their jobs daily. That’s right, nearly 1,000 people unemployed every 24 hours, and the pace is not slowing down; it’s increasing.
This situation is particularly concerning as it occurs during the intense AI race, a time when many companies are promoting automation, efficiency, and new AI products as the sector’s grand promise. Paradoxically, the tech employment sector continues to shed thousands of positions at a speed that clearly surpasses the daily average recorded in 2025.
AI-Driven Layoffs Accelerate Month-Over-Month in 2026
The comparison with the previous year is the most critical and striking data point. In 2025, TrueUp documented 783 rounds of layoffs affecting 245,953 workers, averaging 674 people per day. In contrast, in 2026, with just under 5 months completed, there have already been 142,985 affected individuals and an average of 986 job losses per day. The difference is substantial, especially considering that 2026 is not even halfway through the calendar year, yet the daily rate is significantly more aggressive.
TrueUp’s recent list also names the large tech companies contributing to this pressure. Meta is listed with 8,000 layoffs, representing 10% of its workforce, recorded on May 20th. Intuit figures with 3,000 affected employees, or 17% of its staff. Cisco has announced 4,000 layoffs as of May 13th, LinkedIn has let go of 875 people (5% of its company), and Walmart Tech has cut another 1,000 positions.
When tech company executives address recent graduates, they shouldn’t be surprised by the booing they receive, as witnessed last week. It’s logical and understandable, given that employment is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate, exceeding even the industrial or automotive revolutions.
At This Pace, We Could Double Daily Layoffs by 2027
There are also smaller, but proportionally severe, cases. ClickUp has made a 22% workforce reduction, AI21 has laid off 110 employees (60% of its company), and SQream has unfortunately seen 100% of its company included in TrueUp’s list. ZoomInfo has laid off 600 employees, equivalent to 20% of its workforce, while Dune Analytics has been affected by a 25% staff reduction. These numbers represent the elimination of entire companies or the drastic cutting of almost a quarter of their employees in a single move.
The issue extends beyond merely surpassing the psychological threshold of 100,000 layoffs, which is dramatic in itself; it’s the speed. If the sector maintains an average of close to 1,000 layoffs per day, 2026 could end up being another black year for tech employment, and the most worrying aspect is that this trend is accelerating.
While AI promises increased productivity, TrueUp’s data demonstrates that this transition is being accompanied by massive cutbacks, constant reorganizations, and an increasingly difficult labor cost to conceal.
