March 2026 has become the worst month for tech job layoffs since 2024, with over 38,000 employees losing their jobs. The majority of these cuts come from Oracle, which slashed 30,000 jobs after a rocky end-of-year performance and a $300 million deal with OpenAI. Atlassian cut 1,600 jobs as it shifts to an AI-first strategy, and Epic Games laid off 1,000 workers due to declining engagement with Fortnite.
The Worst Is Yet to Come
Meta initially announced plans to cut 20% of its workforce (16,000 employees) but later confirmed a 10% reduction (8,000 jobs). Other tech giants like Microsoft, Block, Amazon, and eBay have also reduced their workforces in recent months.
Many companies are redirecting resources toward AI and automation to boost efficiency and revenue. However, this comes at a cost: employees are seen as superfluous, and their jobs are cut. According to the Wall Street Journal, companies are outspending each other on AI, making it an unofficial metric for success. To fund new data centers and chips, jobs are often the first to go.
AI Is Shrinking Entry-Level Jobs
The number of job openings has fallen below its 2018 peak, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' JOLTS survey. AI is already shrinking the market for new graduates. In a 2025 interview, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicted that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years. If the promised efficiency gains materialize, more white-collar roles could be at risk.
The trend is clear: tech companies are prioritizing AI investments over workforce stability, and the layoff wave is far from over.
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