2 lakh fired, and counting: Intel, Amazon, Microsoft leading tech layoffs in 2025

The tech sector is facing a year of unprecedented job cuts, with over 2,02,000 layoffs already recorded in 2025. If this pace continues, the global tech workforce could see upwards of 2,44,000 job losses by the end of the year, according to a report from personal finance and trading education platform RationalFX.

The majority of these cuts are concentrated in US-based companies. Intel stands out as the company with the largest headcount reduction. By the end of 2025, the company plans to cut more than 30,000 jobs, reducing its workforce from nearly 1,09,000 to just 75,000.

Amazon and Microsoft are also responsible for a significant portion of the cuts, with the two tech giants eliminating tens of thousands of roles in an effort to streamline operations and cut costs. Together, US companies are responsible for nearly 70% of the global tech sector layoffs in 2025.

While the US remains the epicentre of this wave of downsizing, India has seen its own set of tech sector layoffs. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest IT services company, has announced 12,000 job cuts, pushing India's total layoffs to over 17,000.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Panasonic's 4% workforce reduction has resulted in 10,000 jobs being cut as part of the company’s strategy to boost profitability.

A significant portion of the layoffs-around 64,000 jobs-are being attributed to the increasing use of automation and artificial intelligence. At Amazon, for example, the company's Senior Vice President, Beth Galetti, explained that the workforce reductions were tied to AI-driven changes in the business, with 14,000 jobs being eliminated as part of the transition.

Similarly, global consulting firm Accenture reduced its workforce by 11,000, also citing AI as a factor in its restructuring efforts.

Despite the scale of these job losses, Alan Cohen, a data analyst at RationalFX, suggests that AI is not leading to mass job displacement. Rather, he argues, we are witnessing a reorganisation of the workforce, with companies shedding roles that automation can more efficiently handle.

"This year's mass layoffs in the tech sector (and beyond) signal a rebalancing of the workforce. While some experts call it a "wake-up call", it is unlikely that artificial intelligence is replacing human employees on a massive scale as many now fear," Cohen said. "What we see now is a restructuring, with companies cutting roles that automation or AI can handle more efficiently, especially in administrative, support, and some engineering functions."

As some businesses struggle to adapt to the new technologies, the analyst added, certain companies are moving fast, transforming not just their corporate structure but their core operations, as well. "Their motto is 'who adapts the fastest will be the winner'".

Read more of the report here.

Top 10 tech companies with most layoffs since January 2025

Intel (U.S.) - 33,900
Amazon (U.S.) - 19,555
Microsoft (US.) - 19,215
TCS (India) - 12,000
Accenture (Ireland) - 11,000
Panasonic (Japan) - 10,000
IBM (US) - 9,000
Salesforce (U.S.) - 5,000
STMicro (Switzerland) - 5,000
Meta (U.S.) - 4,320