From Oracle to Amazon: Tech layoffs sweep across global IT industry

The technology sector has seen major job cuts recently, with companies including Oracle, TCS, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel and Block cutting thousands as they restructure and invest in AI

The global technology sector has been seeing a wave of layoffs as companies reorganise their businesses and increase spending on artificial intelligence (AI). India has also felt the impact, with several global and domestic technology firms cutting jobs in recent years.

 

According to independent tracking platform Layoffs.fyi, the tech sector saw large-scale job cuts in 2025. Around 112,732 employees lost their jobs across 218 companies during the year. The layoffs reflect one of the industry's biggest restructuring phases as companies rapidly adopt AI and automation while dealing with economic uncertainty.

 

Major firms, including Amazon and Intel, have reduced their workforce as they reshape their operations for an AI-driven future.

   

Oracle lays off 2,500 employees in India

 

US-based IT firm Oracle on Tuesday laid off employees in India, with another round of job cuts expected within a month. Globally, the company has reportedly eliminated about 30,000 positions.  While some reports suggested the layoffs could be around 12,000, sources in the know told Business Standard that over 2,500 local staff has been affected.

 

Employees began receiving termination notifications early Tuesday.  "After careful consideration of Oracle's current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change," copies of the notification email viewed by Business Insider stated. "As a result, today is your last working day."

 

"After signing your termination paperwork, you will be eligible to receive a severance package subject to the terms and conditions of the severance plan...," the termination email stated.

 

TCS cuts thousands of jobs

 

India’s largest IT services company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), also carried out major layoffs in 2025. The firm let go of around 12,000 employees, representing roughly 2 per cent of its global workforce.

 

This was only the second large-scale layoff in the company’s history. The previous one took place in 2012 when about 2,500 employees were let go due to underperformance. Following the latest round of cuts, TCS’ workforce fell below 600,000 by late 2025.

 

Amazon scales back in India

 

Global technology giant Amazon’s job cuts have also affected its India operations. In January, around 500 to 700 employees in India were impacted as part of the company’s global restructuring.

 

Overall, Amazon announced plans to cut about 16,000 jobs worldwide. This followed an earlier round of layoffs in October last year, when the company had already eliminated about 14,000 positions.

 

Microsoft and Intel follow suit

 

Microsoft also reduced its workforce significantly in 2025. The company cut around 9,000 jobs globally, taking the total number of layoffs that year to about 15,000.

 

The impact was felt in India as well, where Microsoft has large offices and engineering teams. The company has been streamlining operations as it shifts focus toward artificial intelligence.

 

Semiconductor giant Intel announced an even larger restructuring exercise. The company confirmed it would reduce its global workforce by about 24,000 employees during 2025.

 

The reduction represents about 22 per cent of Intel’s workforce and is part of a broader efficiency drive led by new chief executive Lip-Bu Tan as the company faces increasing competition in the semiconductor industry.

 

Block joins the trend

 

Job cuts have also reached the fintech sector. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced in February that his payments company Block would lay off around 4,000 employees.

 

Block reduced its workforce by nearly half in early 2026 as part of a restructuring linked to advances in artificial intelligence. Dorsey said employees affected by the layoffs would receive 20 weeks of salary, along with an additional week’s pay for each year of service.

 

Meta considers large-scale layoffs

 

Meta Platforms, which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is also considering significant job cuts as it invests heavily in artificial intelligence.

 

Last month, the company said it may reduce up to 20 per cent of its global workforce, which could affect around 16,000 employees. As of December 31, Meta had about 79,000 workers worldwide.

 

Apple restructures sales division

 

Apple has also trimmed its workforce as part of an organisational overhaul. In November, the company cut dozens of jobs across its global sales teams.

 

The layoffs were linked to a restructuring of how Apple handles business, education and government clients. Employees affected included account managers responsible for large institutional clients, as well as staff managing Apple’s briefing centres that host corporate and government visitors.

 

HP plans thousands of job cuts

 

HP Inc has also announced plans to reduce its workforce as it restructures operations and increases its use of artificial intelligence.

 

The company said in November last year that it plans to cut between 4,000 and 6,000 jobs worldwide by the end of fiscal year 2028. The cuts are part of efforts to streamline operations, accelerate product development and improve productivity. Teams involved in product development, internal operations and customer support are expected to be impacted.

 

Earlier in 2025, HP had already laid off between 1,000 and 2,000 employees under a previously announced restructuring programme.

 

Layoffs into 2026

 

A report by RationalFx said that tech companies announced about 30,700 job cuts globally in first two months of 2026. Of these, around 24,600 -- just over 80 per cent -- have taken place in the US.

 

In Asia, India recorded the highest number of layoffs, with about 920 job cuts.

 

The report also warned that layoffs could accelerate further. “Based on current trends, if job cuts continue at the same intensity, total reductions could reach 273,305 by year-end, surpassing 2025’s 245,000 layoffs.”