"In April, employers across the country announced 83,387 job cuts, an uptick of 38% from the 60,620 cuts during the month prior. That figure is, however, lower than it was in April 2025, when layoffs had reached 105,441. Overall layoffs for 2026 have also significantly dropped relative to last year: As of April, employers have disclosed plans for over 300,000 layoffs-half the number of layoffs that had been announced by this time last year."
"In tech, there were 33,361 job cuts in April, bringing year-to-date layoffs to 85,411-an uptick of 33% from the 64,118 layoffs at this point in 2025. In fact, this is the highest year-to-date total since 2023, when the industry saw record-high layoffs."
"In April, AI was the top reason that companies cited for layoffs, accounting for 26% of job cuts. AI has been behind 49,135 job cuts so far this year, and it is the third most frequently cited rationale for layoffs."
Overall layoffs across the U.S. economy are slowing in 2026, with employers announcing over 300,000 job cuts through April—half the number from the same period in 2025. However, the technology sector diverges from this trend, experiencing 85,411 year-to-date layoffs, representing a 33% increase from 2025 and the highest total since 2023. In April alone, tech companies announced 33,361 job cuts. Artificial intelligence is the primary driver of tech layoffs, accounting for 26% of cuts in April and 49,135 total cuts year-to-date, making it the third most frequently cited reason for layoffs. While tech layoffs receive significant media attention, they represent a smaller portion of total labor market cuts, though the sector remains uniquely susceptible to boom-and-bust cycles and major investment shifts.
Read at Fast Company
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