Tech Layoffs Top 190,000 in 2026; Some Plans Mention AI

More than 190,000 people had been affected by technology-company layoffs in 2026 through Oct. 23, while company disclosures show artificial intelligence appearing in some workforce plans without establishing its share of the total.

The 2026 figure remained below the 245,953 people recorded for all of 2025. The tally covers technology-company layoffs, not official U.S. employment, and provides no breakdown of cuts companies linked to AI. The documents outline plans and stated reasons, but do not convert the aggregate into a count of jobs lost to AI.

That distinction matters because the company plans identify different drivers. Eric Schmidt has said AI could cut one-fifth of jobs at large firms. Current disclosures offer specific examples of workforce plans but still do not quantify AI's share of 2026 layoffs.

Coinbase announced on May 5 that it planned to eliminate about 700 jobs, equal to 14% of its global workforce as of May 1, 2026. It framed the reduction as a way to manage operating expenses amid market conditions and adjust its operating model for AI-era work. Its original schedule targeted substantial completion during Q2 2026. The company did not assign any of the planned cuts to AI. Coinbase co-founder and CEO Brian Armstrong wrote, “Over the past year, I’ve watched engineers use AI to ship in days what used to take a team weeks.”

Barclays, a British bank, projected about 5,000 full-time-equivalent role reductions, or about 5% of its employees, from 2026 structural cost actions. The bank placed about 60% of its actions in support functions, with developers among the affected roles. In its Oct. 22 presentation, Barclays cited efficiency gains from AI-enabled technology changes as an aim, but did not quantify how many planned reductions AI directly drove.

eBay announced on Oct. 20 that it planned to reduce its global workforce by about 9%, describing the restructuring as a way to reorganize teams and direct resources toward strategic priorities. The company did not identify AI as a reason for the reduction. eBay set a completion target at the end of Q1 2027. The company gave a percentage, not a headcount, for the reduction.