Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has begun implementing a new wave of layoffs affecting 8,000 employees, joining a growing list of tech companies restructuring their workforces under the banner of artificial intelligence (AI). These moves come amid pressure to cut costs, streamline operations, and eliminate redundancies, coinciding with accelerated investments in automation, cloud infrastructure, and AI technologies.

A new report from TradingPlatforms reveals recent hiring trends within the tech sector and the increasing role of AI investments in restructuring and job reduction decisions. The report analyzed layoff data in the tech sector through 2026 using information from TrueUp, TechCrunch, and several US government WARN files.

According to the data, at least 127,998 layoffs have been recorded in the technology sector since January 2026, with a growing proportion of jobs directly linked to the shift towards artificial intelligence (AI) and end-to-end automation within companies. Cisco became the latest major company to announce job cuts, eliminating approximately 4,000 employees as part of a plan to redirect resources towards automation, cybersecurity, and high-growth infrastructure. Meanwhile, Oracle continues to lead the list of companies implementing AI-related layoffs, having cut more than 25,000 jobs through multiple rounds of restructuring aimed at bolstering its investments in infrastructure and cloud expansion.

Key findings of the report

, as of May 20, 2026, show that at least 127,998 employees have lost their jobs in the technology sector globally since the beginning of the year, including 76,979 jobs directly related to the adoption of AI technologies and investment in its tools and infrastructure, representing 60.14% of all recorded layoffs worldwide.

Oracle implemented the largest wave of job cuts in the technology sector this year, despite achieving strong profit growth. The recent layoffs affected employees in the US, India, and several other regions, with the total number of job cuts expected to exceed 25,000 by 2026.

Cognizant, an IT services company, is preparing to implement one of the largest restructuring plans under Project Leap, with approximately 15,000 jobs expected to be affected globally, mostly in India. Management described this move as a reshaping of the talent hierarchy, reducing reliance on large teams in favor of smaller, more specialized units.