Graphene production method offers green alternative to mining

KTH, Royal Institute of Technology

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Researcher Richard Olsson, seen here in the lab holding two sources of graphene, a spool of carbon fiber and a piece of mined graphite.

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Credit: KTH

Researchers in Sweden report a green alternative to reduce reliance on mining graphite, the raw source behind the next wonder material, graphene. 

In the latest volume of the scientific journal Small, researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology say they have developed a reproducible and scalable method for producing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets from commercial carbon fibers, marking a breakthrough in sustainable nanomaterial synthesis.

The process involves exfoliating carbon fibers with nitric acid, which provides high yields of one-atom-thick sheets of graphene oxide with characteristics comparable to commercial GO sourced from mined graphite.

Graphene oxide is a widely studied nanomaterial that can be used in car batteries when its thin sheets stack together, forming layers similar to graphite. It is also useful in high-performance composites, water purification and electronic devices. However, synthesis from mined graphite requires harsh chemicals and often results in material inconsistencies due to variations in graphite purity.

Richard Olsson, professor in polymeric materials at KTH, says the proof of concept was carried out with carbon fibers derived from polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a widely available polymer that undergoes high-temperature oxidation and graphitization. He says the method could be duplicated with other raw sources, such as raw sources such as biomass or forest industry sidestreams.

Olsson points to the electric vehicle battery market as one that can benefit from the new technology. “The core of graphite battery functionality can be found in the layered graphene inside, which can be harvested from commercial carbon fibers using this method,” he says.

“The future of auto manufacturing will build on battery-based power, and the question is where the graphite will be sourced? They are going to need alternatives.”

The method consists of transforming the carbon fibers using the process of electrochemical oxidation in a bath of water and nitric acid. The bath acts as a conductor and when an electric current is sent through carbon fiber, the material begins to lose electrons which transforms the surface much the same way that oxidization appears as rust on a car. In this case, the transformation causes layers of nanoscale graphene oxide to peel off from the carbon fibers' surface.

The study discovered a window in which just 5 percent nitric acid was perfect for creating these tiny nanosheets, ranging from 0.1 to 1 micrometer in size, with a uniform thickness of about 0.9 nanometers. Notably, the GO nanosheets synthesized this way emerged in circular and elliptical shapes, in contrast to the polygonal shapes typical of GO synthesized from natural, mined graphite.

Compared to existing synthetic methods, the new approach delivers a high yield of 200 milligrams of GO per gram of carbon fiber. This efficient conversion rate makes it viable for large-scale production, addressing a key challenge in nanomaterial synthesis, he says.

To ensure the nanosheets met quality standards, the researchers examined and measured the properties and structure of the material with a number of advanced techniques.

The study also explored methods to remove protective polymer coatings from commercial carbon fibers before oxidation, heating at 580°C for two hours and shock-heating to 1200°C for three seconds—both proving effective. The research demonstrated that the nature of electrical conduction within the fibers plays a crucial role in the electrochemical exfoliation process.

Olsson says the next steps for the researchers include investigating biobased sources for carbon fibers, delving deeper into how the process works.

 

An overview of the process, from commercial carbon fibers to graphene sheets. 

Credit

KTH Royal Institute of Technology

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Journal

Small

DOI

10.1002/smll.202408972 

Article Title

Making Synthetic 2D Graphene Oxide Nanosheets by Electrochemical Oxidation of Commercial Carbon Fibres

UK’s renewable energy hot spots identified


By   Dr. Tim Sandle
March 4, 2025

DIGITAL JOURNAL

Turbines like these off the north coast of Wales are expected to help wind power become UK’s single-largest source of electricity in 2025 - Copyright AFP Lou BENOIST

UK power reached its cleanest point ever in 2024, according to newly assessed data. The figures reveal a record 45% of electricity generated from renewable sources. Carbon emissions have dropped significantly with emissions per unit falling by two-thirds over the past decade – from 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2014 to less than 40 million tonnes in 2024.

Which UK regions are at the forefront of renewable energy generation and have the highest green potential?

The firm Confused.com Energy has analysed solar and wind capacity factors in each region. They also looked at capacity forecasts from 2030 to 2060 to uncover the regions with the greatest potential for renewable energy generation.

The data shows that Scotland is the leading UK region for renewable energy production, boasting one of the most efficient wind energy systems. After this, Yorkshire and the Humber finishes in second place with remarkable wind performance, while the East of England completes the top three with outstanding solar output.

UK regions for renewable energy generation potential

Rank	Region	Avg. monthly surface solar radiation (W/m²)	Avg. solar PV capacity factor*	Solar score /10	Avg. monthly wind speed at 100 meters (m s⁻¹)	Avg. onshore wind capacity factor*	Wind score /10	Final renewable potential score /10
1	Scotland	208.56	16.0%	6.54	6.64	37.3%	8.66	7.60
2	Yorkshire and the Humber	220.67	16.7%	6.83	5.83	32.3%	8.32	7.58
3	East of England	240.85	18.1%	8.21	5.63	29.7%	6.43	7.32
4	North East	228.25	17.4%	6.68	5.98	34.6%	7.68	7.18
5	Wales	222.10	16.8%	7.43	5.58	27.6%	6.86	7.15
6	South East	244.87	18.3%	8.53	5.59	28.1%	5.69	7.11
7	South West	229.38	17.2%	8.14	5.62	27.5%	5.86	7.00
8	North West	220.97	16.9%	6.28	5.84	31.1%	7.58	6.93
9	Northern Ireland	193.49	14.7%	5.18	6.52	38.0%	8.62	6.90
10	East Midlands	219.62	16.5%	7.09	5.77	30.6%	6.66	6.88
11	London	239.10	17.8%	7.15	5.32	26.0%	5.46	6.31
12	West Midlands	214.19	16.1%	6.16	5.55	26.8%	5.62	5.89

The capacity factors above are based on data from June 2024, and reflect the real-world efficiency of solar/wind systems. They measure the actual energy production of these systems compared to their maximum potential output. The Renewable Potential Score was determined primarily by two factors: (a) Capacity generation ratios for wind and solar technologies, and (b) data on past, current, and future renewable projects.

Scotland stands as the renewable energy powerhouse in the UK, achieving a final renewable potential score of 7.60/10. The region boasts the second highest onshore wind capacity factor at 37.3 percent. Wind power alone produces over 11GW in Scotland, accounting for 39 percent of the UK’s total capacity.

Solar power plays a smaller role in Scotland with solar systems running at 16 percent of their maximum potential. Notably, in 2022, Scotland hit a major milestone by generating 113 percent of its electricity needs from renewables – producing more green energy than it consumed.

Earning a final score of 7.58/10, Yorkshire and the Humber ranks second in the UK’s renewable energy landscape. The region records an average wind speed of 5.83 m s⁻¹ (metres per second), and has the fourth highest wind energy output at 32.3 percent, projected to peak at 56.1 percent in 2040.

In March, Hull City Council also approved a £200 million Yorkshire Energy Park aimed at attracting investment in clean energy. Otherwise, the region benefits from an average monthly surface solar radiation of 220.67 W/m² (Watts per square metre) and has seen a staggering 221 percent year-on-year increase in solar installations.

The East of England comes in third place (7.32/10) thanks to an average monthly surface solar radiation of 240.85 W/m². Its solar systems run at a capacity factor of 18.1 percent – the second most efficient in the UK. Areas such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire which enjoy around 1,638 hours of sunshine annually, are well-suited for solar energy production.

Three major solar farms approved in July are also set to collectively contribute about two-thirds of last year’s total installed solar energy. While slightly lower than the neighbouring region of the East Midlands (30.6 percent), the East of England’s onshore wind systems operate at a notable capacity factor of 29.7 percent.

Britain’s capital ranked the lowest for renewable energy generation

London is the second-lowest ranking region for renewable energy potential, scoring a mere 6.31/10. The capital’s dense urban environment poses challenges for solar and wind energy production. But its focus on utilising large rooftop spaces for commercial solar installations (8,208 units) has yielded positive results. Despite having the lowest installed solar capacities in the UK, London’s solar systems are notably efficient with a capacity factor of 17.8 percent – ranking third nationally.

Wind energy, however, remains limited with onshore wind systems operating at a capacity factor of just 26 percent – nearly 12 percent lower than Northern Ireland (38 percent).

Advocacy group fears US will steer broadband cash to Musk

ONTARIO HAS CANCELED STARLINK CONTRACT OVER U$ TARIFFS

By AFP
March 4, 2025


Critics say Elon Musk's companies are in line to get a windfall from the Donald Trump administration even as the billionaire tech giant heads a department aimed at rooting out and cutting government inefficiency - Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File Andrew Harnik

An internet rights group on Tuesday raised alarm over reports the United States may steer billions of dollars to Elon Musk’s Starlink by making changes to a rural broadband deployment program.

Net neutrality supporter Free Press spoke out after the Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Commerce could set Musk up for a windfall by overhauling a $42.5 billion program established under former President Joe Biden to bring broadband internet service to rural parts of the country.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has told staff he plans to significantly increase the share of money available to satellite-internet providers such as Starlink rather than firms that use fiber-optic cables to deliver high-speed internet service, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

Starlink is a unit of Musk’s SpaceX company.

Musk — the world’s wealthiest person and a top donor to Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign — has status as a “special government employee” and “senior adviser to the president.”

Trump put Musk in charge of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency that has been slashing the ranks of US agencies under the auspices of budget cutting.

“The Trump administration is undermining an essential bipartisan program designed to bring reliable and affordable broadband to tens of millions of Americans — and it’s doing so just to line Elon Musk’s already bulging pockets,” Free Press co-chief Craig Aaron said in a statement.

The Commerce Department did not respond to a request for comment.

During the Biden administration, the Federal Communications Commission rejected Starlink’s application for nearly $900 million in subsidies on the grounds it failed to show it could meet service requirements, Free Press noted.

Fiber optic cables are considered faster and more reliable than satellites for broadband internet service.

Congress created the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program as part of a 2021 infrastructure bill that Biden signed into law.

Proposals from every US state have been approved, but critics argue the program is moving too slowly.

The bill called on states to prioritize reliable, fast broadband service built to last, according to Free Press.

“The Trump administration is throwing out this sensible approach to favor only providers who are stationed inside the White House,” Aaron said.

“From the FAA to the Defense Department, giving billions to Musk seems to be the Trump administration’s top priority, and now the Commerce Department is getting in on the action,” he added.

Starlink internet service can currently be accessed by anyone in the United States, and the company doesn’t need taxpayer subsidies, Free Press argued.

NOT CAPITALI$M,IT'S MERCANTILISM

Trump gives Chevron a month to ‘wind down’ Venezuela operations


By AFP
March 4, 2025


Oil tankers sail through Lake Maracaibo in Maracaibo, Venezuela 

 Copyright AFP/File JUAN BARRETO

The United States on Tuesday gave energy giant Chevron just one month to stop its operations in Venezuela, delivering a heavy blow to cash-strapped authorities in Caracas.

Chevron currently produces and exports almost a quarter of the million barrels of crude each day from Venezuela, providing vital revenue for Nicolas Maduro’s government.

But a Treasury Department unit said Tuesday that Chevron must stop pumping within 30 days, a timeframe industry insiders described as unrealistic.

The move nonetheless signifies a head-snapping shift in Donald Trump’s policies toward Venezuela, a long-time foe of the United States.

In Trump’s first term, he pursued a policy of “maximum pressure” against the leftist regime, issuing sanctions and limiting US oil companies’ operations.

But coming to office for the second time, Trump initially sought to engage with Maduro.

He okayed a deal to secure the release of US citizens in return for Caracas accepting migrant deportees from the United States.

A Trump envoy even posed for photographs in Caracas with a beaming Maduro.

That move sparked fierce pressure from Florida Republicans who want to see the United States back pro-democracy parties that have been repeatedly thwarted in questionable elections.

Facing a recent tough budget vote in Congress, Trump made an abrupt about-face last month and said Venezuela had failed to hold fair elections, as promised, and was not living up to the deal.

Experts say the loss of Chevron-linked exports could spell recession for Venezuela and an even greater number of people fleeing the country.

For Maduro, it would immediately dry up already sparse foreign reserves — a loss of some $150-200 million per month.

“The new US government is trying to hurt the Venezuelan people” said Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

“It’s a self-inflicted blow that is going to increase fuel prices.”

Oil markets on Tuesday took the news in stride, as it arrived after a decision by oil cartel OPEC to increase production.

Chevron’s share price, however, has fallen about 2.8 percent in the last week.

Venezuela once produced 3.5 million barrels a day, but now produces just over one million, despite having the world’s largest oil reserves.

Between 2014 and 2021, Venezuela’s GDP fell by 80 percent, thanks in part to low oil prices and biting US sanctions.

European firms Eni, Repsol and Shell — which also have operations in Venezuela — were not covered by the action.

US embassies end pollution data popular in China and India


By AFP
March 4, 2025


Commuters drive through heavy smog in New Delhi 

- Copyright AFP RALF HIRSCHBERGER

The United States on Tuesday ended pollution tracking by its embassies that had been a vital source of data especially in Beijing, as President Donald Trump slashes overseas and environmental spending.

The State Department cited “budget constraints” as it said it was ending the Air Quality Monitoring Program’s transmission of data.

“The current budget climate requires us to make difficult cuts and, unfortunately, we cannot continue to publish this data,” a State Department spokesperson said.

Historical data will remain on a site of the Environmental Protection Agency, but live data stopped Tuesday and will remain down unless funding is restored, the State Department said.

The United States since 2008 has monitored air quality through embassies — as a service to Americans overseas but also, increasingly, as a way to share accurate scientific data that may otherwise be censored overseas.

In China, authorities in 2014 banned a popular app from sharing data from the US embassy ahead of a major international summit attended by then president Barack Obama.

But researchers say that the transparency has had a noticeable effect, with China taking action after being embarrassed by US embassy data released on social media that showed far worse pollution than official figures.

Obama’s ambassador to China, Gary Locke, faced scorn in state media after he presided over the introduction of monitors at the embassy and consulates that tracked the so-called PM 2.5 particulate matter carried in the thick blankets of smog pervading China’s capital.

The air quality data from the US embassy is also frequently used as a reference in New Delhi, which has severe pollution issues.

Trump since returning to office in January has slashed spending including on international cooperation and the environment as he vows to trim government and prioritize tax cuts.

Under the guidance of tech billionaire Elon Musk, the Trump administration has effectively shut down the US Agency for International Development, long at the forefront of US efforts for influence overseas.

Trump has also sharply reduced environmental staffing and turned back a slew of climate initiatives by previous president Joe Biden.

Air pollution, which is aggravated by climate change, contributes to nearly seven million premature deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization.

Tech giants object as YouTube set to dodge Australian social media ban


By  AFP
March 4, 2025


Australia's plan to exempt YouTube from a world-leading teen social media ban is 'illogical' and a 'mockery', rival tech giants Meta and TikTok say 

- Copyright AFP/File Lionel BONAVENTURE

Australia’s plan to exempt YouTube from a world-leading teen social media ban is “illogical” and a “mockery”, rival tech giants Meta and TikTok said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year unveiled landmark laws that will ban under-16s from social media by the end of 2025.

While popular platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram face heavy fines for flouting the laws, Australia has proposed an exemption so children can use YouTube for school.

TikTok’s Australian policy director Ella Woods-Joyce said YouTube had been handed a “sweetheart deal” that gave it an unfair advantage.

“Handing one major social media platform a sweetheart deal of this nature — while subjecting every other platform in Australia to stringent compliance obligations — would be illogical, anti-competitive, and shortsighted,” said Woods-Joyce.

“The government’s arguments citing unique educative value do not survive even the most cursory of closer examinations,” she added in a submission to a government agency released Wednesday.

It would “further entrench Google’s market dominance”, she said, referring to YouTube’s parent company.

Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — made similar arguments against the exemption.

“This proposed blanket exception makes a mockery of the government’s stated intention, when passing the age ban law, to protect young people,” Meta said in its own submission to the communications department.

“YouTube has the very features and harmful content that the government has cited as justifying the ban.”

Both companies argued they produced video content that was virtually indistinguishable from YouTube’s.

While a host of countries from France to China have mooted similar measures, Australia’s looming ban would be one of the strictest in the world.

Firms face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$31.3 million) for failing to comply.

Albanese has painted social media as “a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers and, worst of all, a tool for online predators”.

But officials are yet to solve basic questions surrounding the laws, such as how the ban will be policed.

The ban is set to come into effect by December 2025.

CLIMATE CRISIS

Rain offers relief as Japan battles worst wildfire in 50 years


By  AFP
March 4, 2025


Firefighters battle flames near the city of Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture

 - Copyright ${image.metadata.node.credit} 

Tomohiro Osaki, with Kyoko Hasegawa in Tokyo

Wet weather looked poised to offer relief Wednesday as Japan battled its worst wildfire in half a century in a northern region hit by record-low rainfall.

The blaze around the northern city of Ofunato has killed one person and forced nearly 4,000 to evacuate their homes.

It has engulfed around 2,900 hectares (7,170 acres) — over eight times the area of New York City’s Central Park — making it Japan’s largest wildfire since at least 1975, when 2,700 hectares burnt in Kushiro on Hokkaido island.

But rain and snow were falling Wednesday, AFP reporters saw, as several columns of white smoke billowed from a mountain where the blaze has been raging.

“Firefighters have been working on the ground through the night to extinguish the fire,” a city official told AFP on Wednesday.

“We are hoping that snow, which started to fall this morning, will help” put out the blaze, he added.

At least 84 buildings are believed to have been damaged, although details are still being assessed, according to the fire agency.

As of late Tuesday, almost 4,000 people living nearby had complied with orders to evacuate.

Japan endured its hottest summer on record last year, as climate change pushes up temperatures worldwide.

The number of wildfires in the country has declined since its 1970s peak, but there were about 1,300 in 2023, concentrated in the period from February to April when the air dries out and winds pick up.

Ofunato had just 2.5 millimetres (0.1 inches) of rainfall in February — breaking the previous record low for the month of 4.4 millimetres in 1967 and falling well below the usual average of 41 millimetres.

Since Friday, “there has been no rain — or very little, if any” in Ofunato, a local weather agency official told AFP late Tuesday.

Around 2,000 firefighters — most deployed from other parts of the country, including Tokyo — have been working from the air and ground in the fire-hit zone in the Iwate region, which was devastated in 2011 by a deadly tsunami.

Some types of extreme weather have a well-established link with climate change, such as heatwaves and heavy rainfall.

Other phenomena like droughts, snowstorms, tropical storms and forest fires can result from a combination of complex factors.

Japanese baseball prodigy Roki Sasaki, who recently joined the Los Angeles Dodgers, has offered a 10-million-yen ($67,000) donation and 500 sets of bedding to people affected by the wildfire, Ofunato city posted on X.

Sasaki was a high school student there, after losing his father and grandparents in the huge 2011 tsunami.

Thousands flee after Japan’s biggest wildfire in decades


By AFP
March 1, 2025


A helicopter is pictured above the wildfire near Ofunato 

- Copyright JIJI Press/AFP/File STR

Thousands of people evacuated from parts of northern Japan as the country’s largest wildfire in three decades raged unabated Sunday after killing at least one person, officials said.

Around 2,000 people fled areas around the northern Japan city of Ofunato to stay with friends or relatives, while more than 1,200 evacuated to shelters, according to officials.

“We’re still examining the size of the affected area, but it is the biggest since the 1992 wildfire” in Kushiro, Hokkaido, a disaster management agency spokesman told AFP Saturday.

Some reports estimated the fire had spread over 1,800 hectares.

Aerial footage by NHK showed columns of white smoke billowing, four days after the blaze first materialised, with military helicopters trying to douse them.

One burned body has been discovered so far, with more than 80 buildings damaged and around 1,700 firefighters mobilised from across the country.

The number of wildfires has declined since the peak in the 1970s, according to government data, but there were about 1,300 across Japan in 2023 — concentrated in the February to April period when the air dries and winds pick up

Union-led Advisory Table releases report on Canada’s workforce future


By Jennifer Kervin
March 4, 2025
DIGITAL JOURNAL

Photo by ThisisEngineering on Unsplash

As Canada’s economy shifts with new technologies and evolving industries, workers face an uncertain path forward.

A new report from the Union-led Advisory Table, commissioned by the Government of Canada, outlines recommendations to help workers navigate job transitions and prepare for the future.

Unions Power Prosperity: A Report from the Union-Led Advisory Table outlines strategies to ensure workers are equipped with the skills and support they need to thrive in a changing labour market.
Recommendations to support workers through economic change

The advisory table, chaired by Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, convened 14 additional labour leaders from across Canada between December 2023 and October 2024. Their discussions focused on ensuring workers can adapt to changes brought on by automation, sectoral shifts, and emerging industries.

With industries evolving due to climate policies and technological advancements, the report stresses the need for proactive workforce strategies. Recommendations include:Aligning skills training with industry demand.
Supporting workers transitioning from declining sectors to growth industries.
Ensuring continuous learning and foundational skill development.
Expanding access to skilled trades for women and underrepresented groups.

Bruske underlined the need for government and industry to collaborate closely with unions to ensure an equitable workforce transition.

“Meeting Canada’s economic and climate challenges starts with investing in and listening to workers,” she said in a statement.

“This means prioritizing more and better jobs, expanding workplace learning opportunities and including workers in decision-making. Unions have the tools, the know-how and the creativity to drive an innovative, prosperous and equitable economy.”
Collaboration as a key to workforce development

The report’s recommendations contribute to broader government efforts to build a modern workforce, including policies that address skills gaps and prepare workers for sectors like green energy. The advisory table emphasized that solutions require collaboration between workers, unions, employers, and government to ensure a workforce that meets Canada’s evolving labour market needs.

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Steven MacKinnon welcomed the report’s findings, emphasizing the role of worker input in shaping Canada’s economic future.

“Giving workers a seat at the table is the best way to help us understand how to prepare workers for the jobs of tomorrow so we can make sure our economy thrives,” he said in a statement. “We need their advice to confront the challenges of our changing labour market.”

The advisory table included leaders from some of Canada’s largest labour organizations, representing a broad range of industries and worker interests.

Chaired by Bruske, the group featured representatives from major unions such as Teamsters Canada, Unifor, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and the United Steelworkers. Leaders from sector-specific unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, and Canada’s Building Trades Unions, also contributed their expertise.

Their collective expertise provided insight into the challenges workers face and the steps needed to secure good-quality jobs in a changing economy.

With Unions Power Prosperity now published, policymakers and industry leaders will have a roadmap to strengthen workforce resilience and ensure Canadian workers are equipped for the future

.

This article was created with the assistance of AI. Learn more about our AI ethics policy here.

Written ByJennifer Kervin
Jennifer Kervin is a Digital Journal staff writer and editor based in Toronto.

REPUBLICAN WET DREAM COME TRUE

US tax agency weighs firing half of its 90,000 employees

Last month, the IRS laid off around 7,000 probationary employees


By AFP
March 4, 2025


Image: — © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP MARK WILSON

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is considering letting go up to half of its approximately 90,000 employees, a source with knowledge of the situation told AFP on Tuesday.

The bloodbath would be the latest drastic cut to a federal agency under President Donald Trump’s administration.

When asked about US press reports of the plans to halve the IRS headcount, the source confirmed such a project was being discussed internally.

Last month, the IRS laid off around 7,000 probationary employees, amid similar cuts at other federal agencies.

Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has launched a vast offensive aimed at slashing public spending and reducing the federal bureaucracy, one of the goals he promised on the campaign trail.

To that end, he has tapped billionaire Elon Musk, his top campaign donor turned close adviser, to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has cut thousands of government jobs and upended federal agencies.

Among his first targets were members of the federal bureaucracy overseeing policies that promote diversity.

Trump’s return also saw the dismantling of the US Agency on International Development (USAID), ending humanitarian and international development projects around the globe.

Survey: 26,000 employees in tech laid off globally since January


By Dr. Tim Sandle
March 5, 2025

DIGITAL JOURNAL

Facial recognition technology. — Image by © Tim Sandle

As new rounds of mass layoffs at major technology companies are being announced in 2025, a new survey examines the workforce reductions around the world in 2024 and since the beginning of the year.

The survey comes from RationalFX, who have aggregated layoff announcements sourced from U.S. notices, the job portal TrueUp, TechCrunch and the Layoffs.fyi tracker for the entirety of 2024.

The firm also looked into the latest layoffs since the beginning of January 2025, focusing on companies in the technology sector. Numbers show that 280,991 employees in technology companies were laid off last year, with another 26,215 let go since January.

A total of 80 tech companies, primarily U.S., have laid off 26,215 employees since January 2025. We found another 40 companies reducing their workforce or shutting down operations altogether but with no confirmed figures for the positions eliminated.

The tech companies with the largest layoffs so far this year are Meta (3,600 job cuts), STMicro (3,000 job cuts), Microsoft (2,280 job cuts), and Amazon (2,100). Enterprise software giant Workday also announced plans to eliminate roughly 8.5 percent of its workforce or around 1,750 positions, followed by GM-owned autonomous taxis Cruise, which laid off 1,050 after being shut down by its parent company in December.

Salesforce and Jeff Bezos’ space travel company have also joined the wave of layoffs, each slashing 1,000 jobs. In 2024, tech companies around the world laid off 280,991 employees, with U.S. tech giants Dell, Intel, and Amazon cutting the most jobs. Within this figure, at least 95,000 workers at U.S.-based tech companies were laid off in mass job cuts in 2024.

Since January 2025, U.S.-based tech companies have slashed another 18,168 jobs. Globally, at least 26,215 employees in the technology sector have lost their jobs.

The top 10 companies with the largest layoffs so far in 2025:

• Meta (Menlo Park, CA, U.S.) – 3,600 laid-off employees
• STMicro (Geneva, Switzerland) – 3,000 laid-off employees
• Microsoft (Redmond, WA, U.S.), 2,280 laid-off employees
• Amazon (Seattle, WA, U.S.) – 2,100 laid-off employees
• Workday (Pleasanton, CA, U.S.) – 1,750 laid-off employees
• Cruise (San Francisco, CА, U.S.) – 1,050 laid-off employees
• Salesforce (San Francisco, CA, U.S.) – 1,000 laid-off employees
• eFishery (Bandung, Indonesia) – 1,000 laid-off employees
• Blue Origin (Kent, WA, U.S.) – 1,000 laid-off employees
• Wayfair (Boston, MA, U.S.) – 730 laid-off employees

In terms of the most recent announcement, in a Form 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), dated February 27, HP revealed it will eliminate between 1,000 and 2,000 of its workers.

Overall, the opening days of January and the closing days of February have not been good ones for job security in the technology industry.