Latest news with #techlayoffs
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Are Ireland's tech layoffs down to an AI rout?
Is employment in the tech sector hitting another rough patch? A new report from RationalFX gives pause for thought. As tech giants pour money into artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and streamline their operations, the wave of lay-offs continues. The report paints a stark picture, with at least 90,471 employees laid off from tech companies. The US leads the way, with more than 65,000 lay-offs reported by US companies. That was followed by Japan, Sweden and Switzerland, with China in 10th place at 500 losses. But there was one omission from the list of countries: where does Ireland rank? READ MORE Taken at face value, Ireland wouldn't crack the top 10. Fintech Stripe is the only one attributed to the country, with 300 losses announced at the dual US-Ireland-headquartered company. But the raw figures don't paint the whole picture. How the job losses are classified geographically is down to where the companies' headquarters are located, rather than where the real cuts will eventually fall. If you look at the losses that have been announced to date in the tech sector in Ireland, it is highly likely that we would edge our way into the top 10. Only weeks ago, TikTok said it would cut up to 300 jobs at its Dublin operation. Then there was HR and payrollprocessing company Workday, which said in February it would cut 142 jobs in Dublin, while Salesforce was expected to cut around 50 roles here. Munich Re, meanwhile, said it would cut up to 18 jobs at its Irish tech unit. Those were just the jobs losses that had been announced. There are more to come – Intel is downsizing, while Meta is also cutting. Microsoft announced global job cuts in the past few weeks. [ Intel layoffs announcement leads to foreboding in Leixlip amid job worries Opens in new window ] The role of AI in reducing the need for staff cannot be dismissed. But neither is it the apocalypse that was once feared – yet. While companies are cutting staff from one area, they are also recruiting for others. Stripe had 8,500 people at the start of the year; by the end of 2025, that number is expected to be over 10,000. And at the same time that TikTok said it would cut jobs in Ireland, it was also recruiting for other areas of the business. But that will come as little comfort to those who have found their jobs surplus to requirements, or where the opportunities are outside their skill set or geographic location.
Zawya
02-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Is AI the culprit in new wave of tech job losses?
Thousands of Africans are among tech workers who have lost their jobs this year, as hundreds of companies move to trim their workforce — an upheaval many have blamed on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Last week, global software giant Microsoft announced retrenchment of three percent of its workforce – about 6,000 employees – across the globe, describing it as a move to optimise resources. But Microsoft is not alone. So far in 2025, at least 75,463 tech workers have been laid off globally, as 317 companies announce redundancies, according to tech talent consultancy and tracker TrueUp. Other major firms that have let go of staff this year include Google, TikTok, Amazon, Chegg, Electronic Arts, Meta, Intel, Canva, Hewlett-Packard (HP), AutoDesk and eBay, among others. While none of these companies has explicitly cited AI automation as the cause of their layoffs, many observers have pointed to the technology's rapid proliferation as the underlying threat – one that could jeopardise millions of jobs across the world. Yet experts in the industry view the concern differently, dismissing it as an overreaction to a shifting digital landscape.'AI cannot replace a developer. But an AI-proficient developer can replace another developer who has refused to embrace AI,' said Caleb Nyoiro, director of Zone 01 Kisumu, a training centre for tech workers.'I think it is now cliché to say that AI is replacing developers. Developers with AI proficiency will get more jobs and more money. That is the reality. It is only those who have shown no interest in learning AI that will lose their jobs.'Indeed, several studies suggest that AI is ultimately poised to create more jobs than it will eliminate – particularly in fields that demand higher-order thinking and innovation. A 2023 report by the World Economic Forum, for instance, projected that jobs requiring critical thinking, complex problem-solving and creativity are more likely to be enhanced than replaced by AI. Read: AI may not take your job anytime soon, says MITThese include roles such as software developers, engineers, and mathematicians, where AI is expected to augment about 80 percent of tasks, without fully taking over. Still, the impact will not be entirely painless. Data firm Statista estimated that 83 million jobs could be lost to AI between 2023 and 2027, while the technology is expected to create only 69 million new ones during the same period. Yet surprisingly, most professionals are not alarmed. A study published last month by the Pew Research Centre found that while 56 percent of Americans are 'extremely or very concerned' about AI-related job losses, only 25 percent of AI experts share that concern. The same study revealed that experts are far more optimistic than the public about the opportunities presented by AI. While they do worry about issues such as misinformation and digital impersonation, they express far less anxiety about AI-triggered job displacement. Even global financial institutions have dismissed blanket job displacements by AI. A January 2024 discussion paper by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggested that AI would widen income inequality – not because of massive job losses, but due to growing income gaps between workers who can adopt and use AI and those who can't. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
From $150K Tech Salary To DoorDash: Software Engineer Applies To 800 Jobs And Gets Rejected By AI
Shawn K, a 42-year-old software engineer with two decades of experience and a computer science degree, is no stranger to tech layoffs. He's been through the downturns of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic and bounced back each time. But after losing his job last April, he found himself shut out of the industry — not by people, but by algorithms. As Fortune reports, Shawn's job at a metaverse-focused company disappeared as the industry pivoted toward AI. Despite sending out more than 800 job applications, he's landed fewer than 10 interviews — some conducted entirely by artificial intelligence. "I feel super invisible," Shawn told Fortune. "I feel unseen. I feel like I'm filtered out before a human is even in the chain." Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Shawn's experience reflects a broader shift in hiring practices. According to a Resume Genius survey, 48% of hiring managers now use AI to screen resumes, and 30% even use it to conduct AI-assisted interviews. Among Gen Z hiring managers, more than half say they screen resumes with AI before looking at applications themselves. That shift creates a new barrier for job seekers. Harvard Business Review notes that many companies now use AI-powered applicant tracking systems like Workday and Oracle HCM to scan for keywords and rank candidates by fit. Resumes that don't contain specific language from the job posting may never be seen. Shawn has had to adjust his lifestyle drastically. He now lives in a small RV trailer in central New York and makes deliveries for DoorDash. He supplements this income by selling items on eBay, but it adds up to only a fraction of his previous $150,000 salary. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — He told Fortune that he considered going back to school for a technical certificate or commercial truck driving license, but the cost made both options unattainable. While his financial situation is uncertain, Shawn still considers himself an "AI maximalist." He doesn't resent AI for doing his job better, if that's what is happening. But what does frustrate him, he says, is how companies are choosing to cut talent rather than amplify it. "I think there's this problem where people are stuck in the old world business mindset of, well, if I can do the same work that 10 developers were doing with one developer, let's just cut the developer team instead of saying, oh, well, we've got a 10 developer team, let's do 1,000x the work that we were doing before," he said to 2024, more than 150,000 tech workers lost their jobs, and that trend has continued into 2025 with another 60,000 layoffs so far, according to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently told the Council on Foreign Relations that AI will be writing 90% of code by September — and may soon handle nearly all of it. For engineers like Shawn, the shift is not a distant threat but a present challenge. Shawn calls it "The Great Displacement." He believes his experience is a preview of what's coming for many other professions. "It's coming for basically everyone in due time," he wrote on his Substack. Experts suggest that job seekers prepare by identifying tasks AI can't easily replicate — like those involving empathy, persuasion, or creativity. As HBR notes, creating a resume that highlights "AI-resistant" capabilities is one key to navigating this new job market. At the same time, many hiring managers are also looking for employees with skills in AI that can help propel their businesses forward. Read Next: The team behind $6B+ in licensing deals is now building the next billion-dollar IP empire — 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article From $150K Tech Salary To DoorDash: Software Engineer Applies To 800 Jobs And Gets Rejected By AI originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Fast Company
09-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Tech layoffs update May 2025: Panasonic, Match Group, CrowdStrike, among latest to cut jobs
BY May has only just begun, but already, it has not been a good month for the tech industry in terms of layoffs. Since the month started, several prominent names in technology have announced layoffs, some involving a significant number of workers. Here are the companies involved in the latest round of tech layoffs Panasonic Holdings The iconic Japanese electronics giant, founded over a century ago, announced on May 9 that it would eliminate 10,000 jobs. That reduction equates to about 4% of Panasonic's total workforce, reports Bloomberg. According to Panasonic CEO Yuki Kusumi, the cuts are to better prepare the electronics maker for the next few decades. The company will reportedly trim back operations in non-growth areas like televisions and industrial products in order to concentrate on other areas, including artificial intelligence (AI). On an earnings call, Kusumi addressed the cuts, saying he was 'truly sorry,' adding, 'if we don't make drastic cuts to our fixed cost structure, we won't be able to chase growth again.' Of the planned cuts, 5,000 jobs are expected to be lost in Japan, while the other 5,000 jobs will be cut overseas. It is unknown how many American jobs will be lost in the cuts. Match Group The owner of the world's most popular dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge, has announced it will cut 13% of its staff. As noted by Bloomberg, in 2024, Match employed about 2,500 full-time, which means that the company will be cutting around 325 individuals. Match Group's new CEO, Spencer Rascof, announced the cuts when reporting the company's Q1 2025 results yesterday, May 8. In recent years, younger generations, particularly Gen Z, have begun to sour on dating apps, a trend that Rascof addressed in March, a month after becoming Match Group's new CEO. 'Too often, our apps have felt like a numbers game rather than a place to build real connections, leaving people with the false impression that we prioritize metrics over experience,' he said in a letter to employees. 'That needs to change.' Bloomberg says the cuts will see one out of every five managers be let go at Match and quotes Rascof as saying the aim of the cuts is to help the company focus on 'product velocity' to drive growth. Google Search giant Google is also reportedly seeing tech layoffs, letting go of 200 workers in its global business unit, reports The Information. The global business unit handles partnerships and sales at the company. A company spokesperson told Reuters that the cuts were being made as part of some changes across its teams that are designed 'to drive greater collaboration and expand our ability to quickly and effectively serve our customers.' CrowdStrike The cybersecurity company CrowdStrike said on May 7 that it will cut about 500 jobs, equating to about 5% of its total workforce. The Austin, Texas-based company employed just over 10,000 people as of January 2025. CrowdStrike's CEO, George Kurtz, said the job cuts will position the company 'to move faster, operate more efficiently, and continue our cybersecurity leadership,' according to the Wall Street Journal. CrowdStrike was a little-known name outside of the cybersecurity industry until last year, when a bug in its software temporarily made millions of Windows PCs worldwide unusable. Symbotic The warehouse automation company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, announced that it will lay off 400 workers from the robotics unit it purchased from Walmart in January, reported the Boston Globe on May 3. 'While decisions like these are always difficult, we made them following a thorough post-close review of our operations to ensure we are best positioned for the future with an effective structure to continue executing our long-term growth strategy,' the company said in a statement to the Globe. The layoffs will take place on June 27. Tech isn't the only industry facing layoffs While not a tech company, it's worth mentioning that accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, better known as PwC, announced earlier this week that it was laying off about 1,500 employees in the United States. That represents about 2% of its 75,000-strong workforce in America. The move is reportedly being made to cut costs. Tech layoffs mount in 2025 With these latest May tech layoffs, the total number of tech industry layoffs in 2025 has now reached 52,340, according to data compiled by Those layoffs have occurred at 123 companies. However, those layoff numbers are still well below the 152,922 laid off in 2024; the 264,220 laid off in 2023; and the 165,269 laid off in 2022.
