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Tech Layoffs Reach 81,747 in First Quarter of 2026

March accounted for 45,800 announced job cuts, while the quarterly total more than doubled from the prior quarter and rose 580% from the fourth quarter of 2025.

Fact Check
All key figures in the claim are corroborated by multiple independent sources. The @KobeissiLetter X post (the originating source) explicitly states 81,747 Q1 2026 tech layoffs, 45,800 in March, more than double the prior quarter, and up 580% from Q4 2025. The WSJ independently confirms the 45,800 March figure. Benzinga, MEXC, and StrongYes all confirm both the quarterly and monthly totals. No source disputes any of the stated figures. The only minor uncertainty is that the 580% Q4 2025 comparison figure appears only in the originating social media post and has not been independently verified in a primary data source, but all other figures are strongly corroborated.
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Summary

Tech companies announced 81,747 layoffs in the first quarter of 2026, marking the highest quarterly total since at least the first quarter of 2024. The reported total more than doubled from the previous quarter and was up 580% from the fourth quarter of 2025. March alone accounted for 45,800 announced job cuts, indicating that workforce reductions accelerated sharply toward the end of the quarter.

Terms & Concepts
  • Quarter-over-quarter: A comparison of data from one quarter to the immediately preceding quarter to measure short-term changes in activity.
  • Announced layoffs: Planned job cuts disclosed by companies, which may differ from the number of employees ultimately removed from payrolls.