Tech CEOs are desirous to blame AI for mass layoffs. However a current Gallup ballot exhibits that just one% of laid-off employees agree.
The ballot finds that layoffs have leveled off at 21% after practically tripling between 2022 and 2025. Tech jobs and federal authorities work are inclined because the job market tightens.
Distant staff are among the many most susceptible—25% of surveyed laid-off employees had been absolutely distant. Hybrid and on-site remote-capable employees see comparable layoff charges.
RTO mandates spark turnover. Bosses comprehend it
Chopping distant positions could possibly be an easy excuse to lay off large quantities of over-hired jobs within the post-COVID market. 1 / 4 of surveyed executives mentioned return-to-work (RTO) mandates had been an excuse to spark voluntary turnover, in keeping with a 2024 BambooHR survey.
Most surveyed employees mentioned employers are hiring relatively than slicing roles, however tech corporations have been an exception.
In keeping with the survey, 13% of laid-off employees beforehand labored within the tech business. In Could 2026, Meta cut nearly 8,000 roles whereas different tech giants like Microsoft and Snap have made comparable strikes.
After slicing roughly 20% of their employees, Cloudflare cofounders Matthew Prince and Michelle Zatlyn pinned the choice on a company shift toward AI.
Federal authorities staff additionally report larger layoff charges; 38% say their employer is letting employees go, whereas state and native authorities staff are extra assured within the stability of their workforce dimension.
AI could possibly be extra of an element than the ballot lets on
Regardless of what employees assume, AI may nonetheless be an underlying motive for a lot of mass layoffs. Most polled employees cited cost-cutting, restructuring, and function elimination for layoffs—causes that possible arose from AI’s rising infrastructure, particularly within the tech business.
In the meantime, employees who don’t usually use AI could the truth is be extra prone to lose their jobs. In keeping with the survey, laid-off employees had been 62% extra possible than employed employees to keep away from AI use. The sample holds throughout varied ages, training ranges, and industries.
