The tech industry bloodbath continues unabated into 2025, with over 22,000 workers losing their jobs across the sector in less than nine months. TechCrunch's comprehensive tracker reveals a staggering pattern of cuts from Silicon Valley giants to struggling startups, painting a sobering picture of an industry still grappling with economic headwinds and AI-driven efficiency pushes. The human cost of tech's relentless optimization is mounting.
The numbers tell a brutal story. TechCrunch's latest comprehensive tracking data shows tech layoffs have reached epidemic proportions in 2025, with over 22,000 workers losing their jobs across more than 100 companies. The carnage spans from Silicon Valley titans to venture-backed startups, revealing an industry-wide reckoning that shows no signs of slowing.
February emerged as the bloodiest month, with a staggering 16,234 cuts decimating workforces across the sector. The scale dwarfs even the worst months of 2024, when over 150,000 jobs were eliminated across 549 companies, according to independent tracker Layoffs.fyi.
Intel dropped the biggest bombshell, announcing plans to eliminate over 21,000 employees — roughly 20% of its workforce — as the chip giant struggles with mounting competitive pressures and a brutal semiconductor market downturn. The cuts come as newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan attempts to right-size operations ahead of what promises to be a challenging earnings cycle.
Microsoft has been equally aggressive, cutting over 9,000 employees across multiple rounds throughout the year. The Redmond giant's approach has been surgical but relentless, targeting everything from engineering roles to support staff as it reallocates resources toward AI initiatives. "We're making tough decisions to ensure long-term success," sources close to the company told industry watchers, though Microsoft declined to provide specific commentary.
The Big Tech bloodbath extends beyond hardware. Meta announced in January it would cut 5% of its staff, targeting what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called "low performers" as the company prepares for "an intense year." With over 72,000 employees, the cuts affect thousands of workers across the social media giant's sprawling operations.
Google has taken a more distributed approach, making cuts across multiple divisions including its smart TV unit (25% reduction), cloud organizations, and platforms teams covering Android and Pixel devices. The search giant's strategy appears focused on streamlining operations while doubling down on AI investments that promise greater efficiency.
