The global tech industry has recorded 181,457 layoffs so far in 2025, and is projected to reach 235,000 by year’s end. This is according to an October 2025 report by RationalFX, a personal finance and trading education platform.
The report, which covers the period between January 1 and October 9, explained that the massive layoffs are attributed to an accelerating shift towards automation and tech restructurings. Significantly, the adoption of artificial intelligence in daily operations continues to drive mass layoffs across the tech sector.
During the first few days of October, the global tech industry has already seen about 1,400 job cuts, a testament to how fast companies are downsizing and putting in place cost-cutting measures.
The reports, gathered using several sources, including TrueUp, TechCrunch, and multiple state WARN databases, reiterated that the job cuts are not a result of individuals being made redundant. It pointed out that the entire roles that were once deemed essential are disappearing from the workforce, affecting the entire organogram.
Significantly, 120,569 of the total layoffs, representing 66.44%, occurred in U.S.-based companies. With the largest tech hub in the world located in the US, it is expected that the majority of the layoffs are attributed to American companies.
The largest cuts were announced by two American tech giants: Intel (33,900) and Microsoft (19,215). Amazon, Salesforce and Meta also made the top ten list.
While reacting to the report, RationalFX analyst Alan Cohen attributed the layoffs to the U.S. tariffs and renewed trade frictions with China, which prompted major tech firms to cut costs through large-scale job reductions. Companies are also affected by ongoing government shutdowns and weakening global demand.
‘Tech industry layoffs in 2025 have displaced tens of thousands of workers as companies grapple with mounting economic and geopolitical pressures. At the same time, the accelerating shift toward AI and automation has intensified the pace of restructuring,” he added.
In addition, the analyst noted that these developments resulted in downsizing, aligning with experts’ prediction that the rise of intelligent systems will leave the tech workforce leaner and more automated.
Also Read: AI: are our entry-level jobs really at the brink of extinction?
Countries and tech companies leading the layoff drive in 2025
The United States, known as the base for the biggest tech companies, leads the pack with over 120,000 layoffs so far in 2025. India, another tech hub, has seen almost 18,000 employees lose their jobs this year. Panasonic’s recent 4% workforce reduction, affecting 10,000 jobs, has pushed Japan (11,000+) into third place, the report says.
Switzerland is fourth with over 5,000 layoffs. The county is the base of one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers, STMicroelectronics, which saw about 3,000 job cuts in 2025. Sweden, another tech hub, is last in the top five with 3,000+ layoffs.
Others in the top ten are:
- Canada – 2,500+
- UK – 1,700+
- Indonesia – 1,400+
- Israel – 1,400+
- Germany – 900+
U.S.-based chip-making company, Intel, recorded the highest layoffs globally with almost 33,900 job cuts. In its effort to streamline operations, Intel is planning to reduce its workforce by approximately 25-30% by the end of 2025.
Coming after Intel is Microsoft, another U.S.-based company. Microsoft has laid off roughly 19,215 employees across its engineering, management, and international teams. These reductions are part of a strategic pivot towards artificial intelligence and cloud services.
Indian-based company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has laid off 12,000 employees. The IT, consulting, and business solutions services provider attributes these layoffs to a slowdown in demand and the need to adapt to AI and automation trends.
Others in the top five are Ireland-based IT services provider Accenture (11,000) layoffs and Japanese technology conglomerate Panasonic (10,000). The company led one of the largest layoffs in Asia in 2025.
Tech companies at the other end of the top ten are:
- IBM – 9,000
- Salesforce – 5,000
- STMicro – 5,000
- Amazon – 4,055
- Meta – 3,720
Profitability amidst layoffs
Interestingly, the reports explained that tech companies have recorded profitability amidst the layoffs. For instance, Microsoft reported $76.44 billion in revenue for the three months ending June 30, an 18% year-over-year increase.
Meta, despite the job cuts, saw financial results for 2024 and the strong performance reported for the second quarter of this year. The company achieved a 22% year-over-year increase in sales to $47.52 billion.
These companies have continued to invest heavily in AI and automated technologies to boost productivity and streamline various processes. While the focus continues to shift, about 50,000 employees are expected to be shown the exit door by the end of 2024
