LinkedIn is cutting roughly 5% of its workforce (~900–1,000 roles), citing slower revenue growth and a move to a flatter organizational structure. The cuts add to a 2026 tech-layoff wave that has now displaced more than 100,000 workers across ~286 events, the highest since the 2023 contraction. The defining paradox: Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta are collectively guiding $725 billion in AI capital spending this year — up from $462 billion in 2025 — while simultaneously shedding tens of thousands of jobs. Oracle has cut ~30,000 positions (20% of its workforce); Meta is set to cut ~8,000 employees on May 20. Economists are split on whether AI displacement or cyclical restructuring is the primary driver, though 44% of hiring managers in one survey cited AI as the main factor behind expected 2026 cuts.
