Is AI replacing tech workers, or paying for itself with their jobs? 94,000 US tech layoffs so far in 2026

U.S. tech companies cut at least 94,046 jobs from January through August 2026, up 16.8% on the same months of 2025, according to Crunchbase's Tech Layoff Tracker. The year came in bursts rather than a steady rise: May alone recorded 31,513 cuts, including Meta's 8,000, the worst month since March 2023, and every month since has been lower, down to 2,347 in August. Amazon led the year with 17,388, then Meta with 10,400. Andrew Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas told Crunchbase News that AI is hitting jobs in two different ways: "There are jobs that are literally being replaced by artificial intelligence," but companies are also "letting people go from one area of their organization while they might even be hiring in an area that is focused on AI." Few employers outside tech have blamed cuts on AI so far, he said. The two routes end in the same lost job, but only the first is AI doing the work - and a layoff total cannot tell them apart without the employer's own words.