Outplacement firm Challenger said U.S. tech firms announced 38,242 layoffs in May, the sector’s largest monthly total since Aug 2024. Tech has posted 123,653 layoffs year-to-date in 2026, up 66% from 74,716 in the same period of 2025, and remains the

2026-06-04

Outplacement firm Challenger said U.S. tech firms announced 38,242 layoffs in May, the sector’s largest monthly total since Aug 2024. Tech has posted 123,653 layoffs year-to-date in 2026, up 66% from 74,716 in the same period of 2025, and remains the biggest source of cuts so far this year. Challenger said technology is reshaping the labor market in real time and that artificial intelligence is now the most-cited reason for company layoffs, with tech the most affected sector. It added AI has not produced mass job destruction to date and should raise productivity over time, but companies are already citing AI in more layoffs than any other reason; the key uncertainty is the speed of change.