The beginning of 2026 has seen a wave of workforce reductions across multiple sectors as corporate leaders seek operating efficiencies and shift investment into artificial intelligence and other strategic priorities.
Notable among the early moves was the announcement on January 28 by Amazon that it would eliminate 16,000 positions worldwide, marking its second significant round of cuts within three months. That reduction is part of a broader plan to trim approximately 30,000 corporate roles, with the 16,000 jobs representing nearly 10% of Amazon's corporate workforce.
Below is a company-by-company accounting of announced job cuts so far in 2026, with the information presented as provided by the companies or by sources familiar with the plans.
- Pinterest - January: Less than 780 roles, representing under 15% of its workforce. The company said it is reallocating resources toward artificial intelligence-focused roles and strategy.
- Autodesk - January: Roughly 1,000 layoffs, about 7% of staff. The company is redirecting spending toward its cloud platform and artificial intelligence efforts.
- Meta - January: Percentage not specified in the primary disclosure; the company is shifting focus toward virtual reality products in its Reality Labs division. Note - Meta plans to cut around 10% of the employees in its Reality Labs division who work on products including the metaverse, according to a New York Times report.
- Amazon - January: Announced roughly 16,000 job cuts worldwide as part of a broader intention to reduce about 30,000 corporate roles, with the 16,000 figure representing nearly 10% of corporate employees.
- Angi - January: About 350 roles, described as part of AI-driven efficiency improvements; percentage of total workforce not specified.
- Washington Post - February: Exact headcount and percentage were not specified; the company indicated a shrinking of news coverage.
- Workday - February: Percentage not specified; roughly 2% of staff were identified as affected while the company realigns resources toward top priorities.
- C3.ai - February: About 307 positions, representing 26% of the workforce, with restructuring under a new chief executive aimed at improving operating efficiency.
- Home Depot - January: Approximately 800 positions, as part of efforts to improve efficiency.
- Nike - January: About 775 roles, primarily impacting distribution center positions in Tennessee and Mississippi, according to a source familiar with the matter. The company said it is consolidating its operations footprint.
- Dow - January: Roughly 4,500 layoffs, or about 13% of its workforce, part of a restructuring intended to lift profitability by at least $2 billion.
- Tronox - January: Approximately 550 roles tied to a Fuzhou, China pigment plant closure due to weak domestic demand in China and rising costs.
- FedEx - January: Up to 500 positions affected as the company overhauls operations in France and trims its station footprint there.
- United Parcel Service - January: Up to 30,000 roles identified in relation to reducing low-margin delivery volumes; full percentage and scope were not specified.
- Peloton Interactive - January: About 11% of the workforce affected as part of cost-cutting measures amid a turnaround effort.
- Citigroup - January: About 1,000 roles, part of a previously announced plan to reduce the workforce by 20,000 by 2026.
- Mastercard - January: Approximately 4% of its workforce, described as a refocusing of investments to other areas.
- Gemini Space Station - February: Up to 200 positions, representing about 25% of staff in certain operations, as the organization winds down some international activities to support a path to profitability.
- Block - February: Over 4,000 roles affected, with the company and its leadership noting that AI has enabled it to build and run parts of the business with fewer people; nearly half of reductions fall under categories described by company leadership.
- Morgan Stanley - March: About 3% of its workforce, roughly 2,500 employees across all three divisions, were cut based on individual performance and broader strategy.
Executives and company statements generally framed the reductions in terms of efficiency gains, cost savings and resource reallocation to higher-priority initiatives such as cloud platforms and artificial intelligence. In several cases the announcements cited restructuring under new leadership or the winding down of specific international operations to improve profitability.
Context on selected items
Several entries included clarifying notes from sources or reports: Meta's planned reduction in its Reality Labs division was reported as around 10% of division employees; Nike's 775 layoffs primarily involve distribution center roles in Tennessee and Mississippi, per a source familiar with the matter; Citigroup's 1,000 job cuts are part of a previously announced plan to reduce 20,000 positions by 2026; Morgan Stanley's cuts of about 2,500 employees represent roughly 3% of its workforce and affect all divisions, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Summary paragraph
Across technology, consumer retail, manufacturing and financial services, the early months of 2026 have been marked by sizable workforce reductions. Companies cite similar drivers - shifting capital to AI and cloud initiatives, restructuring for profitability, and consolidating operations - while the scale of cuts ranges from modest single-digit percentages to multi-thousand person reductions at large employers.