2025 Tech Layoffs to Continue: Thousands Handed Pink Slips as Big Tech Doubles Down on AI

• The tech industry is continuing to experience layoffs in 2025.
• Despite AI offering companies new avenues for efficiency and cost reduction, it actively contributes to the threat of a decreased workforce worldwide.
• A recent survey found that 51% of U.K. business leaders planned to “redirect investment from staff to AI.”

With 2025 in full swing, tech companies continue to announce layoffs within their workforce to claw back costs and boost efficiency.

As Big Tech rallies forward with advanced AI development, concerns surrounding mass job displacement have continued to grow.

According to a global survey  of C-suite executives last year, the use of AI will significantly reduce the number of workers at thousands of companies over the next five years.

The Adecco Group and Oxford Economics poll, which interviewed 2,000 executives, found that 41% expected to employ fewer people due to the emerging technology.

At the time of reporting, some 11,663 employees have been laid off  across 46 tech companies in 2025, according to Layoffs.io.

Here is a list of key tech layoffs in 2025.

Bird

Cloud communication firm Bird has confirmed it is cutting 120 roles as it looks to reorganize its global operations following increased adoption of AI.

First reported by TechCrunch , the Amsterdam-based company said most of the layoffs will be based in Europe.

Robert Vis, Bird founder and CEO, said the layoffs were not due to cost reduction as the company’s “financials remain strong.” The layoffs are mainly due to the company’s increased reliance on AI.

“The changes will help us return to the agile, focused model that drove our early success — starting with SMS and expanding to become one of the world’s largest providers of business communications solutions,” Vis said.

Zepz

London-based fintech firm Zepz is reportedly laying off around 200 IT workers as part of a sweeping redundancy plan, according to CNBC , citing two people familiar with the matter.

The layoffs, which will equate to roughly 20% of the total workforce, are expected to impact several areas of its IT department.

Zepz said it was currently on a journey to optimize operations across the organization, bolstered by advancements in automation and AI.

“This transformation has reinforced the technology foundation and reduced the need for certain operational and technical capacities, prompting a proposed reduction in roles as part of the overall plan,” a Zepz spokesperson said.

Workday

Workday has announced it will be cutting around 8.5% of its workforce, equating to around 1,750 jobs, as the company doubles down on AI investment.

The HR and finance giant said on Wednesday, Feb. 6, that the decision was also made due to increasing competition and an uncertain spending environment.

In a public memo  to employees, CEO Carl Eschenbach said the demand for AI had created a “massive opportunity” for the company.

“Companies everywhere are reimagining how work gets done, and the increasing demand for AI has the potential to drive a new era of growth for Workday,” he wrote.

Adding: “This creates a massive opportunity for us, but we need to make some changes to better align our resources with our customers’ evolving needs.”

Workday said it expects to incur between $230 million to $270 million in charges following the reduction plan.

Salesforce

Salesforce is reportedly expected to cut over 1,000 employees as part of its restructuring efforts and shift to AI-focused hiring.

According to a Bloomberg report , the impacted staff will have the chance to apply for other internal roles.

Salesforce has reportedly laid off 8,000 employees since 2023.

The company is expected to announce the most recent layoffs before the start of the fiscal year.

Ubisoft

In January, gaming giant Ubisoft announced it was closing  its U.K.-based Leamington studio as part of “ongoing efforts to prioritize projects and reduce cost.”

The studio closure comes with the cutting of 185 jobs.

Ubisoft’s offices in Newcastle, Düsseldorf, and Stockholm are also set to be downsized.

“Unfortunately, this should impact 185 employees overall. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and are committed to supporting them through this transition,” a Ubisoft spokesperson said.

Aqua Security

U.S. cloud-native cybersecurity firm Aqua Security announced it was cutting dozens of jobs in several locations globally.

The cyber unicorn, which previously laid off 50 jobs in 2023, currently has around 450 employees.

Aqua Security said the layoffs  were part of a strategic reorganization aimed at focusing on customer needs and “flattening the organization.”

“As part of this move, we regretfully had to say goodbye to a small portion of Aqua’s employees globally, including in Israel,” the company said in a statement. “Aqua is nearing profitability and is financially stable.”

“These changes will enable us to continue driving growth and innovation while securing cloud-native applications in the best way possible, creating new opportunities for both the company and its customers,” it added.

Stripe

Irish-American payments platform Stripe is laying off 300 people, according to a leaked memo seen by Business Insider .

Rob McIntosh, the company’s chief people officer, said the change will affect employees primarily in product, engineering, and operations roles.

However, McIntosh said the company planned to grow its headcount back to 10,000 by the end of the year.

“It became clear that there were several team-level changes needed to make sure we have the right people in the right roles and locations to execute against our plans,” McIntosh said in the memo.

“I want to be clear that we’re not slowing down hiring — we expect to grow headcount across all our locations and to land at about 10,000 Stripes by the end of the year,” he added.

Meta

Meta announced it cut 5%  of its staff and will target “low performers” as the company prepares for “an intense year.”

According to its most recent quarterly report, the Facebook owner currently has over 72,000 employees. The tech giant said affected employees will be notified by Feb. 10.

The layoffs mark Meta’s most extensive since it removed almost a quarter of its workforce, approximately 21,000 jobs, in 2022 and 2023.

Blackrock

On Jan. 8, Bloomberg reported  that BlackRock was planning to lay off around 1% of its 21,000 workforce, which will affect around 200 people.

BlackRock’s chief operating officer, Rob Goldstein, said the cuts would help realign the firm’s resources.

Microsoft

Microsoft is planning an unspecified number of job cuts in 2025 after taking a look at underperforming employees, Business Insider reported , citing two people familiar with the matter.

A Microsoft spokesperson also confirmed cuts to the publication.

“At Microsoft we focus on high performance talent,” the spokesperson said. “We are always working on helping people learn and grow. When people are not performing, we take the appropriate action.”

Companies Prioritizing AI

AI is offering new frontiers for unparalleled efficiency and cost reduction, which is leading to an increase in layoffs across tech and a range of industries in 2025.

Hugo Farinha, founder of AI testing firm Virtuoso QA, told CCN that the immediate impact of AI was in the automation of administrative tasks in tech companies, leading to a reduction in entry-level roles.

“Over the long term, this will shift the focus towards more strategic, analytical, and customer-facing positions as AI takes over routine tasks,” Farinha said. “The job market will continuously evolve alongside AI advancements, requiring ongoing adaptation and learning to stay relevant.”

In the U.K., 51% of business leaders  said they planned to “redirect investment from staff to AI.”

The statistic is a response to an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions announced in the U.K.’s October Budget, according to a Boston Consulting Group survey.

Nick South, BCG managing director, said: “People are starting to see, with AI and generative AI, the potential of those technologies to be more productive . . . in a world where the costs of employment are increasing.

“Over time, you will see organizations reshaping the size and shape of their workforces.”

At the same time, in the U.S., a survey  of 1,000 U.S. managers found that 45 percent of companies anticipate layoffs in 2025, with many citing AI automation and economic concerns.