According to The Indian Express, April witnessed the most severe wave of tech layoffs this year, with 19 companies terminating 23,468 employees across various functions nearly tripling March's figure of 8,834 layoffs from 21 companies.
Intel led this dramatic surge by announcing plans to cut approximately 20% of its workforce in what appears to be an escalating industry-wide trend of workforce reductions.
Intel's extensive restructuring, reported on April 23, aims to "curb bureaucracy, streamline management and rebuild an engineering-driven culture," according to Bloomberg. This represents the first major organisational overhaul under newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan. The semiconductor giant had previously cut about 15,000 positions in August last year, reducing its total headcount from 124,800 in 2023 to 108,900 by the end of 2024.
Meta joined the layoff trend by eliminating nearly 100 employees from its Reality Labs division, which focuses on virtual reality experiences and wearable devices.
The cuts specifically targeted staff working on Virtual Reality (VR) experiences for Meta's Quest headsets and hardware operations. Meta defended the move as necessary to "help studios work more efficiently on future mixed-reality experiences for the company's growing audience while still delivering great content for users today."
Google similarly reduced its workforce on April 11, cutting hundreds of positions from its platforms and devices unit, which manages Android, Pixel phones, and the Chrome browser, as reported by The Information.
A Google spokesperson noted these reductions followed January buyout offers, stating: "Since combining the platforms and devices teams last year, we've focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively."
This aligns with the broader tech industry shift toward prioritising data centres and Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure while scaling back other business operations.
The layoff wave also hit Indian tech companies hard. Conversational AI specialist Gupshup terminated approximately 200 employees in what it described as a restructuring exercise, the company's second round of cuts in just five months, reportedly aimed at improving "efficiency and profitability."
Meanwhile, used car e-commerce platform Cars24 eliminated over 250 staff members, primarily affecting its product and technology verticals, as part of cost-cutting measures.
Multiple factors appear to be driving this industry-wide contraction, including global economic tensions, inflation concerns, high interest rates limiting capital access, and companies redistributing resources toward AI initiatives.
According to tracking portal Layoffs.Fyi, 112 tech companies have cut 51,028 positions already this year, with industry experts recommending professionals stay informed and focus on upskilling to remain competitive in this challenging environment.
