Payroll data and layoff reports show sustained job losses in AI-exposed sectors, with finance and information among the hardest hit as companies automate coding, research and back-office work.
Industries with established AI use cases have been losing an average of about 11,000 jobs a month over the past three months, according to figures cited by The Kobeissi Letter, adding to evidence that automation is weighing on white-collar employment. In a narrower government-data view reported by Bloomberg, finance and information sector payrolls fell by an average of 28,000 jobs a month in 2026 as companies accelerated AI use in coding, research and back-office tasks. AI-related layoff announcements have also risen. The Kobeissi Letter said AI was cited for 38,579 job cuts in May, then Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 45,849 total U.S. job cuts in June, the lowest monthly total since December 2025, while saying AI has driven 101,743 layoffs so far this year, about 23% of all cuts it tracked. Technology remained the largest source of announced reductions, with 15,503 cuts in June and 139,156 year-to-date, up 83% from 2025. The reported impact spans management consulting, graphic design, office administration, call centers, computer systems, software publishing, web search, data processing, media and film-related fields. Company examples cited include Oracle, which cut 21,000 jobs over 12 months, about 13% of its workforce, and Robinhood, which recently cut 10% of staff while restructuring around AI tools. Even so, executives including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Jeff Bezos have argued it is too simplistic to blame AI alone for job losses and said the technology should raise productivity.