LinkedIn joins the list of tech companies that have laid off 100,000 workers.

      LinkedIn, Microsoft’s professional network, has joined the ranks of companies such as Meta, Amazon, Oracle, and IBM, which are collectively predicting $725 billion in AI-related capital expenditures this year. LinkedIn is reducing its workforce by approximately 5%, marking another downsizing at a Microsoft-owned entity and contributing to a year-long contraction in the Big Tech sector that has resulted in the loss of over 100,000 jobs.

      In a letter to staff, CEO Ryan Roslansky explained the layoffs were due to "shifts in customer behavior and slower revenue growth," as well as a transition to "a flatter organizational structure," according to a Bloomberg report from Wednesday. At the beginning of 2026, LinkedIn had about 18,500 employees, indicating possible cuts of about 900 to 1,000 positions, though the company has not verified a specific figure.

      The broader context shows that by May 13, the global tech industry had announced over 100,000 layoffs across around 250 different instances, averaging nearly 880 layoffs per day, with some reports estimating total layoffs, including smaller startup reductions, closer to 128,000. A summary from 24/7 Wall St. indicated that the year-to-date total reached over 102,000 by early May, marking the highest level since the contraction of 2023 began.

      A significant contrast exists between workforce reductions and capital investments. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta collectively anticipate about $725 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, with most funds allocated toward AI infrastructure, GPUs, and data centers. This figure is an increase from $462 billion in 2025 and marks a faster rise than seen since the cloud expansion of the late 2010s. Conversely, these companies are reducing their workforces, with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and similar firms accounting for over 50,000 job losses in just the past four months.

      Meta's planned reductions, set to begin on May 20, are among the largest, with approximately 8,000 positions—around 10% of its workforce of 78,865—slated for elimination. Additional layoffs are anticipated in the latter half of 2026. This decision follows protests from Meta’s US staff regarding the company's new mouse-tracking software, which has raised concerns about job functions being included in AI training data.

      In contrast, Microsoft has adopted a different approach to workforce changes. Instead of involuntary layoffs, the company launched a voluntary-separation program in April directed at around 8,750 US employees, constituting about 7% of its domestic workforce, based on a “Rule of 70” guideline that requires combined years of service and age to equal at least 70. This marks the first program of its kind in Microsoft's 51-year history. Final notifications were sent on May 7, allowing a 30-day decision period. The layoffs at LinkedIn add to this ongoing adjustment within Microsoft.

      Amazon, while less vocal, is on a larger scale of job reduction. In January, the company announced the elimination of 16,000 corporate roles, bringing the total cuts since October 2025 to around 30,000, marking its largest workforce shrinkage ever. CEO Andy Jassy described the layoffs as part of a restructuring process following rapid growth from 2020 to 2022, rather than directly related to AI replacement. Amazon has also stated its intention to hire 11,000 engineers this year, suggesting a redistribution of roles rather than an overall decrease.

      Smaller companies are seeing similar patterns on a different scale. Oracle has eliminated roughly 30,000 positions, making up about 20% of its global workforce. IBM, Salesforce, Cisco, and SAP have all reported job cuts this year. Contractors and consulting firms linked to federal technology contracts have reduced their workforces by several thousand since the beginning of the year. By May 13, the TrueUp tracker recorded 286 layoffs impacting 128,270 workers in the tech sector.

      However, the data does not distinctly differentiate between AI-driven displacement and cyclical restructuring. Earlier this month, the Washington Post suggested that attributing the layoffs primarily to AI overlooks macroeconomic pressures that play a significant role. Concurrently, a CNBC analysis cited economists who characterized the situation as an AI-induced labor crisis currently in effect, supported by a survey of hiring managers revealing that 44% see AI as the main cause for anticipated layoffs in 2026.

      Both perspectives may hold validity. The companies engaging in the most significant layoffs are also investing heavily in AI infrastructure, with some job functions—such as recruiting, content moderation, customer support, and software testing—being the first to experience AI-related job reductions, while broader payroll discipline is aimed at reallocating funds for capital expenditures.

      Meta has been particularly clear, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg stating during the company's January earnings call that 2026 would be "the year that AI starts to dramatically change the