LinkedIn becomes the latest name on a 100,000-job tech layoff list
May 13, 2026 – 2:53 pm
Image by: Creative Commons Zero
Microsoft’s professional network joins a growing list of tech giants—including Meta, Amazon, Oracle, and IBM—that are laying off employees despite guiding $725 billion in AI capital spending this year.
LinkedIn is cutting approximately 5% of its staff, the latest reduction at a Microsoft-owned business and the most recent addition to a year-long industry contraction that has already displaced over 100,000 workers across 250 separate events, according to industry trackers.
The Numbers:
- As of May 13th, global tech sector layoffs reached over 100,000, averaging roughly 880 per day.
- This year’s total exceeds 102,000 as of early May, surpassing the 2023 contraction levels.
Diverging Trends:
While these tech giants guide substantial capital expenditure towards AI infrastructure and data centers, headcount is declining at the same companies, with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and peers collectively laying off over 50,000 employees in just four months.
Meta’s Latest Round:
This week, Meta will begin company-wide layoffs on May 20th, cutting approximately 8,000 employees (10% of its workforce), with further reductions planned for the second half of 2026.
Microsoft’s Approach:
In April, Microsoft launched a voluntary separation program affecting around 8,750 US employees (7% of its domestic headcount) structured under a "Rule of 70" formula. This is the first such program in Microsoft’s 51-year history. Final notifications were sent on May 7th, with a 30-day decision window. LinkedIn’s cuts now overlap with these Microsoft actions.
Amazon’s Quiet Trajectory:
While Amazon has been relatively quieter about its layoffs, it is also on a larger absolute trajectory compared to other companies.