The year started on a grim note for thousands of tech workers. By mid-January, CEO Mark Zuckerberg had signaled a major upheaval, announcing impending Meta layoffs in a bid to restructure and purge so-called “low performers.” This wave of layoffs in tech industry in 2025 seems unstoppable, as giants like Amazon and Microsoft have tightened their ranks too with performance-based jobs cuts.
So, why are tech companies laying off in such large numbers? The latest strategic move suggests an increased effort to bank in on the AI bandwagon. Companies like Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are reducing headcount in large numbers, while simultaneously recruiting for machine learning engineering roles, suggesting an aggressive approach to beat OpenAI in the coming years.
“It’s hard to comprehend after years of positive feedback,” one former Microsoft employee explained to The HR Digest. “I had no indication I was at risk.”
This shift follows a major shakedown in the tech industry in 2025. The most recent tech layoffs in 2025 and 2024 seem more to be a recalibration of the sector’s hiring philosophy. Rather than casting a wide net that attracts tech industry’s most talented workers, companies are now sharpening their focus on providing jobs in AI. As tech industry’s job cuts sweep through the workforce in 2025, roles in machine learning and engineering remain in high demand, signaling an aggressive approach towards precision-driven talent acquisition to build the next OpenAI competitor.
While 2025’s layoffs have been more measured, the same can’t be said for what tech industry faced the previous year. With advancements in AI and the relentless drive for optimization, tech giants have taken to layoffs as their go-to operational move.
Is 2025 the year of tech layoffs?
According to layoffs.fyi, which tracks layoffs in tech industry, 19 companies have laid off around 5,200 workers. What began as a ripple in 2022 turned into a wave of job cuts in tech industry, reaching its peak in early 2023 when 585 tech companies trimmed their workforce. Since then, the number of tech layoffs has subsided, but the aftershock remains brutal. By 2024, tech layoffs had eased, yet the numbers were shockingly high—542 companies cut 151,484 employees.
Unfortunately, this wave of jobs restructuring in tech has continued in 2025 across the industry.
Microsoft Announces Layoffs with no severance
Microsoft was one of the first tech giants to announce job cuts in 2025, targeting more than one division with a major impact on its security unit. The layoffs are performance-based, aimed at letting go of employees who did not meet the behemoth’s performance standards.
“It’s hard to comprehend after years of positive feedback,” one former employee explained to The HR Digest. “I had no indication I was at risk.”
To many it’s more than worrisome as Microsoft announced layoffs with no severance despite sitting on $80 billion cash.
Meta Layoffs 5% of Workforce
This Monday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a fresh round of layoffs in 2025 affecting 5% of its total workforce in an effort to reduce costs and boost profits. You can read all about our coverage of Meta layoffs and its impact on employees here.
“I felt blindsided when I received the email,” one affected employee told The HR Digest. “I have a strong track record, and there’s been no sign of any performance concerns over the last six months.”
Stripe, Salesforce Layoffs in 2025
Fintech giant Stripe announced it will be laying off 300 employees, as uncovered in a leaked memo. The employees affected reportedly work in product, engineering and operations roles.
While Stripe says it plans to grow its headcount by 17% in 2025, the latest layoffs news comes just 3% after a 14% reduction in its workforce in 2022 due to Covid-19 overhiring.
The payment technology company created furor over inadvertently attaching a cartoon image of a yellow duck labeled “US-Non-California Duck” to termination emails.
At the beginning of February, Salesforce announced it would undertake its first round of mass layoffs since July 2024, laying off 1,000 employees. The company said it was a strategic move to let go of low performers and restructuring in order to focus on its AI initiative, Agentforce.
Amazon’s RTO Mandate – A layoff in disguise?
According to an internal memo leaked online, Amazon is planning to cut jobs in 2025 within its communication and sustainability divisions. Over the past three years, Amazon had laid off 27,000 employees to eliminate narrowly defined roles and redundant layers.
Some have questioned Amazon’s RTO mandates calling it a “backdoor layoff” strategy. The company’s return-to-office policy was announced in September, mandating employees work in person five days a week starting in 2025.
“Amazon uses RTO mandates to conceal indirect layoffs,” wrote X user @KaleidoKurt. “No bad press if people choose to quit because they don’t want to come back to the office.”
Amazon uses RTO mandates to conceal indirect layoffs. No bad press if people choose to quit because they don’t want to come back to the office.
— Kaleidoscope Kurt (@KaleidoKurt) January 30, 2025
Google’s Voluntary Exit Program
Instead of announcing direct layoffs in 2025, Google has introduced a voluntary exit program in its Platforms & Devices division—a segment responsible for key products in Android, Chrome, Pixel and Nest.
In an internal memo, senior vice president Rick Osterloh wrote that employees opting into the program would receive generous severance packages.
“I was shocked when the email came through,” said one affected Google employee to The HR Digest. “This was a tough pill to swallow.”
Many have questioned Google’s fairness of the process. “I felt like I was being pushed out for no reason,” another employee shared their disbelief in a private message.
We also learned that several workers had been told their roles were redundant, despite receiving high praise just months before.
(Updated: February 12) Sophos cuts workforce following Secureworks acquisition
In February 2025, cybersecurity firm Sophos laid off 6% of its workforce—estimated at around 200 employees—following its acquisition by Secureworks. Announced on February 13, 2025, the layoffs reflect efforts to streamline operations post-merger as the company adapts to a shifting security landscape.
(Updated: February 13) JPMorgan Chase layoffs called “regular management of the business”
On February 12, JPMorgan Chase announced layoffs after enforcing a five-day return-to-office (RTO) mandate igniting a firestorm of employee discontent. The bank followed in the footsteps of Amazon and Meta by enforcing RTO policies to increase attrition rate without having to pay severance.
Rumors of layoffs in 2025 as been swirling for months as the banking giant renewed its focus on profitability. A spokesperson told The HR Digest that the layoffs are a part of the “regular management of the business,” adding that the banking giant still has 14,000 positions open.
(Updated: February 18) Southwest Airlines’ first may layoffs in over a century
On Monday, Southwest Airlines’ legacy of ‘no layoffs’ received a devastating blow as the carrier announced a sweeping 15% reduction in its corporate workforce, making its first ever mass layoffs in 53 years.
Unlike other giants on our list of tech layoffs in 2025, Southwest Airlines’ layoffs will primarily affect corporate overhead and leadership positions, including senior leadership and directors. Eleven senior leadership positions, representing 15% of the company’s senior management committee, including vice presidents and above, will be eliminated.
The Southwest Airlines’ job losses are scheduled to be mostly completed by the end of June. The airline plans to cut costs and transform the company into a “leaner, faster, and more agile organization,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement.
The corporate shakeup will save the company $210 million this year and $300 million in 2026. It expects a one-time charge between $60 million to $80 million for costs such as severance.
Southwest Airlines has been under intense scrutiny from hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to push to increased profitability and a higher stock price. In October, the carrier and Elliott reached a truce to avoid a proxy fight, however the hedge fund secured enough seats on the board to commence massive leadership changes along with mass layoffs for the first time in over a century.
Many blame Elliott for the layoffs. A user @WilliamJMcGee wrote, “Southwest Airlines started flying in June 1971 & in nearly 54 years has never had mass lay-offs, a claim no other major carrier can make. Until now. Elliott Investment Management’s board room takeover has led to the loss of 1,750 employees (15%).”
Southwest Airlines started flying in June 1971 & in nearly 54 years has never had mass lay-offs, a claim no other major carrier can make. Until now. Elliott Investment Management’s board room takeover has led to the loss of 1,750 employees (15%).https://t.co/7ZvlzatYgQ
— William J. McGee (@WilliamJMcGee) February 18, 2025
(Updated: February 19) Boeing to layoff roughly 3,500 across 7 states
Boeing is preparing to issue layoff notices to roughly 3,509 employees working at their sites in Oregon, Colorado, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Washington and Arizona. The job cuts in 2025 are part of Boeing’s plans to reduce its workforce by 10%, roughly 17,000 employees, across the globe.
Boeing layoffs in 2025 come at a time when the company prepares to preserve cash following a nearly two-months-long workers strike at its Washington and Oregon facilities. The work stoppage cost the company between $50 million and $150 million a day, according to aerospace consulting firm Leeham News and Analysis.
The aerospace giant is also spending billions of dollars to salvage its reputation and correct its safety and manufacturing after the Alaska Airlines doorplug blowout that happened earlier this year.
A user wrote on Reddit that Boeing is hoping for attrition by enforcing RTO policies.
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(Updated: February 19) Bezos’ Blue Origin Cuts 1,000 Jobs
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company, slashed 10% of its workforce—roughly 400 employees just one month after the successful launch of its New Glenn rocket. These layoffs are said to be a ‘sweeping’ readjustment as the company aims to cut operational costs and ramp up rocket launches.
The chatter on r/BlueOrigin on Reddit was telling of the invisible damage after layoffs on its current and former employees. A user @trypto_tran on X wrote, “Mood on /r/BlueOrigin is pretty dark Even those who survived the cuts have had their morale crushed Unfortunate reality of trying to shift the culture at a 10,000+ head org after 20 years of mostly R&D A lot of hearsay to be sure, but some interesting exhibits below…”.
Mood on /r/BlueOrigin is pretty dark
Even those who survived the cuts have had their morale crushed
Unfortunate reality of trying to shift the culture at a 10,000+ head org after 20 years of mostly R&D
A lot of hearsay to be sure, but some interesting exhibits below: https://t.co/UP6pUGbfpl pic.twitter.com/YzIf4nkK6m
— Tran (@trypto_tran) February 14, 2025
An employee wrote on the company’s subreddit that it was crushing to find out people were let go when it should have been vice presidents, directors and senior directors who should have been terminated.
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byu/Top-seceret-intel from discussion
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The Blue Origin layoffs reported on February 13 come at a time when the aerospace company braves competitive pressures in the space industry from established names like SpaceX.
Bigger job cuts, bigger questions
The recent wave of tech layoffs in 2025 gives a clear picture of what’s to come. Companies like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, and Google are announcing job cuts, while simultaneously hiring in AI, machine learning, and automation, signaling a major shift. The roles that once defined tech behemoths are now being replaced with specialized, high-skill roles that could fuel the AI race to beat OpenAI.
For workers in tech, the message couldn’t get any clearer. Adaptability is no longer optional in tech industry. For now, the 2025 tech layoffs may feel brutal, but it could usher a new chapter, where success depends not just on experience, but also on being in sync with the latest trends.
Your story matters. If you’re a current or former Meta employee with information to share, The HR Digest wants to hear from you. Reach out to Pri Mistry via email.
(Updated: February 20) We will continue to update this article as new tech layoffs in 2025 are reported.