Tech layoffs hit 85,411 in 2026 — up 33% — even as overall U.S. cuts decline

Tech-sector layoffs reached 33,361 in April alone, pushing the 2026 year-to-date total to 85,411 — a 33% jump over the same period in 2025 and the highest pace since 2023. The divergence from broader U.S. labor markets, which are stabilizing, points to sector-specific AI restructuring rather than macro weakness.

Why post about this

This is the receipts behind the Cloudflare story. When the rest of the economy is stabilizing and tech alone is bleeding 33% more jobs YoY, you're not looking at a cycle — you're looking at a structural reset. Pair this number with any layoff headline and you have a complete argument.

Suggested angle

Tech is no longer 'the economy' — it's decoupling. Argue that the 85,411 figure represents AI-driven job destruction concentrated in a single sector while everyone else hires.

Platform angles

Instagram · Reel with bold on-screen stat overlay and voice-over breakdown · 85,411 tech workers lost jobs in 2026. The rest of the economy? Hiring. Here's what's really happening ↓ · #TechLayoffs #AIJobs #FutureOfWork #TechIndustry #CareerTrends

Facebook_page · Text-only post with strong opinion, followed by image carousel (3 slides: stat comparison chart, sector divergence visual, AI investment vs headcount trend) · Tech laid off 85,411 people this year — up 33% — while the rest of the U.S. economy is *hiring*. This isn't a recession. It's a reckoning. AI ate the industry that built it. · #TechLayoffs #FutureOfWork

Linkedin · Text-only post with line-break structure and data callouts · Tech layoffs are up 33% YoY. Overall U.S. layoffs are DOWN. That gap is the story — and it tells you everything about where AI automation is hitting first. 85,411 tech workers cut in 2026 while the rest of the economy hires. Here's which functions are disappearing: · #TechLayoffs #FutureOfWork #AIAutomation #TechIndustry #WorkforceTrends

Youtube · Long-form explainer video (8-12 min) with data visualizations, chart overlays, and split-screen comparisons of tech vs. non-tech layoff trends. Include timestamped segments for each evidence layer. · 85,411 tech workers cut in 2026 while the rest of the economy hires — here's the data · #TechLayoffs #AIJobs #TechIndustry #FutureOfWork #EconomicTrends

X · Single tweet · Tech cut 85,411 jobs in 2026 (+33% YoY) while the rest of the U.S. economy hired. This isn't a cycle. This is AI eating the sector that built it. · #TechLayoffs #AIdisruption

Bluesky · thread · 85,411 tech workers lost jobs in 2026 — up 33% — while the rest of the economy added positions. Tech isn't having a recession. It's having a reckoning. · #TechLayoffs #FutureOfWork #AI

Mastodon · Thoughtful text post with data context · Tech shed 85,411 jobs in 2026 (+33% YoY) while the rest of the U.S. economy stabilized. This isn't a cycle — it's structural. AI tooling is eliminating roles faster than companies are creating new ones, and the pain is concentrated in a single sector. Tech is no longer synonymous with 'the economy.' It's decoupling. · #TechLayoffs #AIDisruption #LaborEconomics #StructuralChange #TechIndustry

Original source: Multi-source verified