Layoffs continue in the name of AI! This much number of jobs lost in 2026 from Amazon to Meta

Desk: The wave of layoffs in the tech industry has intensified in the beginning of 2026. Big companies like Oracle, Meta and Amazon are laying off thousands of employees. More than 51 thousand jobs have been lost in the first three months alone. Companies are increasing investment in Artificial Intelligence by saving billions of dollars through these cuts. This change clearly shows the future direction of the tech sector.

According to the Financial Express report, Oracle carried out one of the largest layoffs in its history on March 31. The company laid off about 20 thousand to 30 thousand employees, which is about 18 percent of its total workforce. This cut was made in many countries like America, India, Canada and Mexico. According to the report, the company will save 8 to 10 billion dollars every year with this decision. This money will be invested in AI data centers and high performance computing systems, so that the company can stay ahead in the future tech race.

According to the report, Meta has also made layoffs under CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Year of Efficiency plan. The company laid off hundreds of employees in departments like Reality Labs, Facebook, Sales and Recruiting. While earlier there was talk of layoffs up to 20 percent, the actual cuts were limited. Meta is now investing heavily in AI models like Llama and large data center projects. The company’s focus is now on doing more technology based work with less employees.

Amazon eliminated about 16 thousand corporate jobs in January, which is one of the biggest layoffs in recent years. This step was taken in weakly performing departments like Alexa and physical retail. The company is now paying more attention to AWS and AI sector. At the same time, Atlassian also laid off about 1600 employees in March, which is about 10 percent of its total staff. The company says that it will invest this savings in AI research and development.

The Block Inc., formerly known as Square, laid off about 4,000 employees in February. This was approximately 40 to 50 percent of the company’s total workforce. Company CEO Jack Dorsey cited making operations more efficient through AI. However, later news came that the company was calling back some employees. This shows that companies themselves are constantly adjusting their strategies amid rapid changes with AI.

More than 100 layoff cases have been reported in the first three months of 2026. The biggest impact was seen in America, where more than 32 thousand jobs were lost, while the impact was also seen in Australia and Germany. Fintech, e-commerce and enterprise software sectors have been most affected. Companies are calling these steps necessary for an AI first future. However, critics say that despite earning profits, companies are removing mid-level employees and making them work with AI tools, which is raising a big question on job security.