While AI companies are breaking revenue records and attracting hundreds of billions in investment—on the flip side of that same coin, thousands of IT professionals are losing their jobs. And in most cases, the reason is the same: artificial intelligence.
In just the first quarter of 2026, more than 85,000 tech professionals received layoff notices. Nearly half of them—due to direct AI automation.
The Biggest Layoffs—Who and How Many
Oracle—up to 30,000 people
The largest layoff of 2026. In early April, Oracle sent out a brief message signed simply “Oracle Leadership”—without a specific executive’s name. The company’s corporate Slack lost over 10,000 active users in a single day.
The goal of the cuts: free up to $10 billion for investment in AI infrastructure. Oracle’s stock has dropped 25% since the start of 2026—and management decided to fund AI transformation at the expense of personnel.
Atlassian—1,600 people (10% of the team)
The Australian enterprise software developer cut every tenth employee in March 2026. The official reason—”AI-oriented restructuring.” At the same time, the company appointed two new CTOs instead of one—both focused exclusively on AI.
Meta—a new wave of layoffs
In March 2026, Meta conducted another wave of layoffs that affected Reality Labs, recruiting, sales, and global operations divisions. And this while the company is simultaneously actively hiring AI specialists for Meta Superintelligence Labs.
Overall Market Picture
| Company | Laid Off | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle | 20,000–30,000 | AI infrastructure |
| Atlassian | 1,600 (10%) | AI restructuring |
| Meta | Several thousand | Reallocation to AI |
| ASML | 1,700 | AI chip manufacturing |
| Ericsson | ~1,900 | Restructuring |
| WiseTech Global | 2,000 (25%) | AI logistics automation |
The AI Employment Paradox
Analysts have already named this phenomenon the “AI employment paradox.”
Companies are doing two things simultaneously:
- Laying off thousands of people in traditional positions
- Aggressively hiring AI specialists, engineers, and researchers
Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI continue active hiring. Oracle cuts 30,000 and invests that money in data centers. Meta lays off in some divisions and hires in others.
The result: a structural shift in the labor market, not a temporary crisis. The same companies cutting costs on people are investing record amounts in AI infrastructure.
Which Professions Are at Greatest Risk
According to analysts, the most affected and continuing to be cut:
🔴 High risk:
- Customer support—AI chatbots replace up to 80% of inquiries
- Content moderation—automated systems
- Data entry and processing
- Basic QA and testing
🟡 Medium risk:
- Junior developers—Copilot and Cursor AI handle some tasks
- Basic copywriting and content writing
- Analytics and report preparation
🟢 Low risk:
- Senior developers and architects
- AI/ML engineers
- Product managers
- DevOps and cybersecurity
How to Protect Your IT Career in 2026
This isn’t a reason to panic—it’s a reason to take action. Here’s what actually helps:
Master AI tools. A developer who can work with GitHub Copilot and Cursor AI gets work done faster and costs more. AI isn’t your replacement—it’s your amplifier.
Specialize deeper. Narrow expertise is valued more than broad basic knowledge. The more specific your niche—the harder it is to automate your work.
Learn AI No-Code and automation. Setting up Make, n8n, and AI agents for business—one of the most in-demand and unfilled niches of 2026.
Develop soft skills. Strategic thinking, client communication, team management—things AI won’t replace in the coming years.
What This Means for Ukrainian IT Professionals
Ukrainian developers are traditionally strong in the international market—and this trend continues. But the overall trend affects us too.
Companies outsourcing to Ukraine are increasingly asking about AI competencies when hiring. Those who can combine a technical foundation with understanding of AI tools are getting better offers and higher rates.
According to IT Research Ukraine 2025, the median salary for tech professionals grew 4.2% to $2,700 per month. But the growth is uneven: AI specialists are growing much faster than the average.
Material prepared by the TechVisor team — practical IT media for people. Sources: TechCrunch, Bloomberg, tech-insider.org (April 2026)
