By Dr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
October 14, 2025
Silicon Valley chip maker Intel says it cut about 15 percent of its 'core workforce' in the recently ended quarter - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP JUSTIN SULLIVAN
With the U.S. government shutdown already into its second week, crucial jobs market data has been delayed. Despite this, analysts believe that layoffs in the technology sector are continuing at a high rate.
Several tech giants have recently cut hundreds of jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area, while hiring remains low amid trade wars, tariff policies, and increased business costs.
With tens of thousands of jobs slashed this year in the U.S. tech industry alone, September 2025 unemployment is expected to reach a four-year high. The Chicago Fed expects the unemployment rate for the month to reach 4.34%, while unemployment claims rose to 224,269 in the last week of September, according to a Reuters report, citing estimates from Haver Analytics.
To determine which companies are leading the latest wave of job cuts, analysts at RationalFX compiled layoff data from multiple verified sources, including U.S. WARN notices, TrueUp, TechCrunch, and the Layoffs.fyi tracker, covering announcements made since the start of 2025.
According to the latest aggregated figures, at least 181,457 employees in the global tech industry have lost their jobs so far this year, while 66.44% of these layoffs or 120,569 job cuts have been at U.S.-based companies. In the first days of October, around 1,400 employees in the sector have lost their jobs. The largest cuts were announced by American tech giants Intel (33,900) and Microsoft (19,215), as well as at India’s Tata Consultancy Services (12,000).
Tech companies with the most significant mass layoffs
Intel – 33,900 layoffs
Intel is planning to reduce its workforce by approximately 25-30% by the end of 2025, in an effort to streamline operations. The company is primarily cutting roles in its Foundry division and scaling back certain international expansion projects.
Microsoft – 19,215 layoffs
Since the start of the year, 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.
TCS – 12,000 layoffs
IT, consulting, and business solutions services provider TCS is reducing its workforce by 12,000 employees, focusing primarily on mid- and senior-level roles. The company attributes these layoffs to a slowdown in demand and the need to adapt to AI and automation trends.
Accenture – 11,000 layoffs
The Ireland-based IT services provider Accenture spearheaded the latest wave of layoffs, cutting more than 11,000 positions in the process. The redundancies primarily affected employees deemed unable to be retrained to work with AI agents. This move forms part of a broader $865 million restructuring plan designed to align the workforce with the company’s AI-driven strategy.
Panasonic – 10,000 layoffs
Japanese technology conglomerate Panasonic has led one of the largest layoff waves in Asia, shedding more than 10,000 employees across its various business locations. The company has stated that it is restructuring to focus on core areas and enhance operational efficiency.
IBM – 9,000 layoffs
IBM is reducing its workforce by 9,000 employees, with cuts spanning both hardware and software divisions. The company is focusing on areas with higher growth potential, such as cloud computing and AI services.
Salesforce – 5,000 layoffs
Silicon Valley-based cloud software company Salesforce has laid off up to 5,000 employees in 2025, including over 4,000 customer service roles. The company cited AI-driven efficiency improvements, with AI agents now handling more than half of customer interactions, as part of a broader restructuring focused on AI initiatives, despite reporting strong financial results.
STMicro – 5,000 layoffs
European semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics announced it will be cutting 5,000 jobs over the next three years. This will reportedly include 2,800 direct job cuts as well as 2,000 employees who are likely to leave the company within this timeframe.
Amazon – 4,055 layoffs
Amazon is laying off at least 4,055 employees across various departments, including operations and corporate functions. Most recently, Amazon laid off 150 delivery drivers at the Queens station in New York at the end of September 2025, followed by 555 positions slashed in Los Angeles and Orange counties in early October.
Meta – 3,720 layoffs
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has reduced its workforce by at least 3,720 employees throughout 2025 as part of its ongoing efficiency initiatives. CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that the layoffs were performance-based, targeting employees deemed “low performers” as part of an effort to improve team quality and accelerate innovation.
As of October 9th, 2025, a minimum of 181,457 employees in the tech sector have been laid off globally, with Intel, Microsoft, and TCS slashing the most jobs overall. Roughly 1,400 of these job cuts were announced within the first week of October. Of these, an estimated 50,184 job cuts were directly linked to the adoption of AI and automation technologies.
October 14, 2025
Silicon Valley chip maker Intel says it cut about 15 percent of its 'core workforce' in the recently ended quarter - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP JUSTIN SULLIVAN
With the U.S. government shutdown already into its second week, crucial jobs market data has been delayed. Despite this, analysts believe that layoffs in the technology sector are continuing at a high rate.
Several tech giants have recently cut hundreds of jobs in the San Francisco Bay Area, while hiring remains low amid trade wars, tariff policies, and increased business costs.
With tens of thousands of jobs slashed this year in the U.S. tech industry alone, September 2025 unemployment is expected to reach a four-year high. The Chicago Fed expects the unemployment rate for the month to reach 4.34%, while unemployment claims rose to 224,269 in the last week of September, according to a Reuters report, citing estimates from Haver Analytics.
To determine which companies are leading the latest wave of job cuts, analysts at RationalFX compiled layoff data from multiple verified sources, including U.S. WARN notices, TrueUp, TechCrunch, and the Layoffs.fyi tracker, covering announcements made since the start of 2025.
According to the latest aggregated figures, at least 181,457 employees in the global tech industry have lost their jobs so far this year, while 66.44% of these layoffs or 120,569 job cuts have been at U.S.-based companies. In the first days of October, around 1,400 employees in the sector have lost their jobs. The largest cuts were announced by American tech giants Intel (33,900) and Microsoft (19,215), as well as at India’s Tata Consultancy Services (12,000).
Tech companies with the most significant mass layoffs
Intel – 33,900 layoffs
Intel is planning to reduce its workforce by approximately 25-30% by the end of 2025, in an effort to streamline operations. The company is primarily cutting roles in its Foundry division and scaling back certain international expansion projects.
Microsoft – 19,215 layoffs
Since the start of the year, 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.
TCS – 12,000 layoffs
IT, consulting, and business solutions services provider TCS is reducing its workforce by 12,000 employees, focusing primarily on mid- and senior-level roles. The company attributes these layoffs to a slowdown in demand and the need to adapt to AI and automation trends.
Accenture – 11,000 layoffs
The Ireland-based IT services provider Accenture spearheaded the latest wave of layoffs, cutting more than 11,000 positions in the process. The redundancies primarily affected employees deemed unable to be retrained to work with AI agents. This move forms part of a broader $865 million restructuring plan designed to align the workforce with the company’s AI-driven strategy.
Panasonic – 10,000 layoffs
Japanese technology conglomerate Panasonic has led one of the largest layoff waves in Asia, shedding more than 10,000 employees across its various business locations. The company has stated that it is restructuring to focus on core areas and enhance operational efficiency.
IBM – 9,000 layoffs
IBM is reducing its workforce by 9,000 employees, with cuts spanning both hardware and software divisions. The company is focusing on areas with higher growth potential, such as cloud computing and AI services.
Salesforce – 5,000 layoffs
Silicon Valley-based cloud software company Salesforce has laid off up to 5,000 employees in 2025, including over 4,000 customer service roles. The company cited AI-driven efficiency improvements, with AI agents now handling more than half of customer interactions, as part of a broader restructuring focused on AI initiatives, despite reporting strong financial results.
STMicro – 5,000 layoffs
European semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics announced it will be cutting 5,000 jobs over the next three years. This will reportedly include 2,800 direct job cuts as well as 2,000 employees who are likely to leave the company within this timeframe.
Amazon – 4,055 layoffs
Amazon is laying off at least 4,055 employees across various departments, including operations and corporate functions. Most recently, Amazon laid off 150 delivery drivers at the Queens station in New York at the end of September 2025, followed by 555 positions slashed in Los Angeles and Orange counties in early October.
Meta – 3,720 layoffs
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has reduced its workforce by at least 3,720 employees throughout 2025 as part of its ongoing efficiency initiatives. CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that the layoffs were performance-based, targeting employees deemed “low performers” as part of an effort to improve team quality and accelerate innovation.
As of October 9th, 2025, a minimum of 181,457 employees in the tech sector have been laid off globally, with Intel, Microsoft, and TCS slashing the most jobs overall. Roughly 1,400 of these job cuts were announced within the first week of October. Of these, an estimated 50,184 job cuts were directly linked to the adoption of AI and automation technologies.
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