WHAT BIG TECH'S LAYOFF STRATEGY MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF WORK

AI has changed the fundamentals of employment and hiring completely.

- 

From Microsoft and Google to Meta and Amazon, Big Tech has spent 2025 pruning thousands of jobs across functions.

More than 60,000 layoffs have already been reported this year, signalling not just another round of corporate belt-tightening but a deeper transformation in how technology companies, and, by extension, much of the global economy, will work in the years ahead.

Why is Big Tech Still Cutting Jobs?

After the pandemic boom-when remote work and cloud services spurred an unprecedented hiring spree. Demand normalized, growth flattened, and inflated payrolls suddenly looked unsustainable. But this year's layoffs are about more than cost control. They mark a pivot to efficiency, automation, and artificial intelligence.

Large language models and generative AI tools have quietly redrawn the productivity curve. What used to require teams of analysts or developers can now be executed by smaller, AI-assisted groups.