Tech Industry Shake-Up: The Year of Layoffs in 2025

The cybersecurity firm Axonius, known for its AI-powered threat detection platform, is cutting 10% of its staff, laying off about 100 employees out of its 900-person workforce. This move is aimed at streamlining operations. The cuts at various companies mentioned are part of a broader trend of workforce reduction strategies being implemented. The recent layoffs at various companies have impacted a significant number of employees across different industries. Some notable layoffs include Bumble cutting 240 jobs, Klue laying off 85 employees, Google downsizing its smart TV division by 25%, Intel planning to lay off 15-20% of its Intel Foundry division, and Playtika letting go of around 90 employees. Other companies like Airtime, Microsoft, Hims & Hers, Amazon, Chegg, Match, CrowdStrike, General Fusion, Deep Instinct, Beam, NetApp, Electronic Arts, Expedia, and Cars24 have also announced layoffs affecting various percentages of their workforce. Additionally, Meta is letting go of over 100 employees in its Reality Labs division. – Intel announced its plan to lay off more than 21,000 employees, or roughly 20% of its workforce, in April. This move comes ahead of Intel’s Q1 earnings call led by recently appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over from longtime chief Pat Gelsinger last year.

– GM is laying off 200 people at its Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck facility in Michigan, which produces GM’s electric vehicles. The cuts come amid the EV slowdown and are not caused by tariffs, according to a report.

– Zopper has reportedly let go of around 100 employees since the start of 2025. Earlier this week, about 50 employees from the tech and product teams were let go in the latest round of job cuts. The India-based insurtech startup has raised a total of $125 million to date.

– Turo will reduce its workforce by 150 positions following its decision not to proceed with its IPO, per Bloomberg. The San Francisco-based car rental startup, which had about 1,000 staff in 2024, said the layoffs will bolster its long-term growth plans during economic uncertainty.

– GupShup laid off roughly 200 employees to improve efficiency and profitability. It’s the startup’s second round of layoffs in five months, following the job cuts of around 300 employees in December. The conversational AI company, backed by Tiger Global and Fidelity, was last valued at $1.4 billion in 2021. The startup is based in San Francisco and operates in India.

– Forto has reportedly eliminated 200 jobs, affecting around one-third of its employees. The German logistics startup reduced a significant number of sales staff.

– Wicresoft will stop its operations in China, affecting around 2,000 employees. The move came after Microsoft decided to end outsourcing after-sales support to Wicresoft amid increasing trade tensions. Wicresoft, Microsoft’s first joint venture in China, was founded in 2022 and operates in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. It has over 10,000 employees.

– Five9 plans to cut 123 jobs, affecting about 4% of its workforce, according to a report by MarketWatch. The software company prioritizes key strategic areas like artificial intelligence for profitable growth.

– Google has laid off hundreds of employees in its platforms and devices division, which covers Android, Pixel phones, the Chrome browser, and more, according to The Information.

– Microsoft is contemplating additional layoffs that could happen by May, Business Insider reported, citing anonymous sources. The company is said to be discussing reducing the number of middle managers and non-coders in a bid to increase the ratio of programmers to product managers.

– Automattic, the WordPress.com developer, is laying off 16% of its workforce across departments. Before the layoffs, the company’s website showed it had 1,744 employees, so more than 270 staff may have been laid off.

– Canva has let go of 10 to 12 technical writers approximately nine months after telling its employees to use generative AI tools wherever possible. The company, which had around 5,500 staff in 2024, was valued at $26 billion after a secondary stock sale in 2024.

– Northvolt has laid off 2,800 employees, affecting 62% of its total staff. The layoffs come weeks after the embattled Swedish battery maker filed for bankruptcy.

– Block let go of 931 employees, around 8% of its workforce, as part of a reorganization, according to an internal email seen by TechCrunch. Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of the fintech company, wrote in the email that the layoffs were not for financial reasons or to replace workers with AI.

– Brightcove has laid off 198 employees, who make up about two-thirds of its U.S. workforce, per a media report. The layoff comes a month after the company was acquired by Bending Spoons, an Italian app developer, for $233 million. Brightcove had 600 employees worldwide, with 300 in the U.S., as of December 2023.

– Acxiom has reportedly laid off 130 employees, or 3.5% of its total workforce of 3,700 people. Acxiom is owned by IPG, and the news comes just a day after IPG and Omnicom Group shareholders approved the companies’ potential merger.

– Sequoia Capital plans to close its office in Washington, D.C., and let go of its policy team there by the end of March, TechCrunch has confirmed. Sequoia opened its Washington office five years ago to deepen its relationship with policymakers. Three full-time employees are expected to be affected, per Forbes.

– Siemens announced plans to let go of approximately 5,600 jobs globally in its automation and electric-vehicle charging businesses as part of efforts to improve competitiveness.

– HelloFresh is reportedly laying off 273 employees, closing its distribution center in Grand Prairie, Texas, and consolidating to another site in Irving to manage the volume in the region.

– Otorio has cut 45 employees, more than half of its workforce, after being acquired by cybersecurity company Armis for $120 million in March.

– ActiveFence will reportedly reduce 22 employees, representing 7% of its workforce. Most of those affected are based in Israel as the company undergoes a streamlining process. The New York- and Tel Aviv-headquartered cybersecurity firm has raised $100 million at a valuation of about $500 million in 2021.

– D-ID will cut 22 jobs, affecting nearly a quarter of its total workforce, following the announcement of the AI startup’s strategic partnership with Microsoft.

– NASA announced it will be shutting down several of its offices in accordance with Elon Musk’s DOGE, including its Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy and the DEI branch in the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

– Zonar Systems has reportedly laid off some staff, according to LinkedIn posts from ex-employees. The company has not confirmed the layoffs, and it is currently unknown how many workers were affected. However, several companies such as Wayfair, HPE, TikTok, LiveRamp, Ola Electric, Rec Room, ANS Commerce, HP, GrubHub, Autodesk, Google, Nautilus, eBay, Starbucks, Commercetools, Dayforce, Expedia, Skybox Security, HerMD, Zendesk, Vendease, Logically, Blue Origin, Redfin, Sophos, Zepz, Unity, JustWorks, Bird, Sprinklr, Sonos, Workday, Okta, Cruise, and Salesforce have recently announced layoffs affecting a significant number of employees.

January

Cushion

CEO Paul Kesserwani announced on LinkedIn that the fintech startup, Cushion, has ceased its operations. The company had a post-money valuation of $82.4 million in 2022, as reported by PitchBook.

Placer.ai

In a move towards profitability, Placer.ai laid off 150 employees in the U.S., affecting approximately 18% of its workforce.

Amazon

To enhance operational efficiency, Amazon downsized its communications department, resulting in the layoff of several employees. This decision aims to accelerate the company’s pace, promote ownership, bolster the organizational culture, and enhance customer relationships.

Stripe

As part of a restructuring effort, Stripe is reducing its workforce by 300 employees, as disclosed in a leaked memo from Business Insider. Despite the layoffs, the fintech giant plans to increase its total headcount by 17%.

Textio

Textio, the augmented writing startup, underwent a reorganization that led to the dismissal of 15 employees.

Pocket FM

In a bid to ensure long-term sustainability and success, Pocket FM is downsizing its workforce by laying off 75 employees. This decision follows a previous layoff of 200 writers in July 2024 after a collaboration with ElevenLabs.

Aurora Solar

Citing ongoing macroeconomic challenges and uncertainty in the solar industry, Aurora Solar announced plans to cut 58 employees as a strategic response.

Meta

In preparation for a demanding year ahead, Meta revealed its intention to trim 5% of its workforce, targeting underperforming employees. The company, currently employing over 72,000 individuals, aims to streamline operations and boost efficiency.

Wayfair

Wayfair is streamlining its operations by eliminating up to 730 jobs, affecting 3% of its total workforce. The decision includes an exit from operations in Germany to focus on physical retail outlets.

Pandion

Pandion, a delivery startup, is closing down its operations, impacting 63 employees. The company has committed to paying employees until January 15 without severance benefits.

Icon

Icon is realigning its team focus on a robotic printing system, leading to the layoff of 114 employees. The decision aims to optimize resources and enhance productivity within the company.

Altruist

Despite aggressive hiring efforts, Altruist decided to eliminate 37 jobs, affecting approximately 10% of its workforce. This move aligns with the company’s strategic goals and operational requirements.

Aqua Security

Through a strategic reorganization to improve profitability, Aqua Security is reducing its workforce across global markets. The company aims to enhance operational efficiency and maximize returns on investment.

SolarEdge Technologies

Facing industry challenges, SolarEdge Technologies plans to lay off 400 employees globally. This decision marks the fourth round of layoffs since January 2024, reflecting the broader downturn in the solar sector.

Level

Following unsuccessful acquisition attempts, Level, a fintech startup, ceased its operations earlier this year. The closure was announced by CEO Paul Aaron, with potential acquisition offers post-shutdown being considered by Employer.com.

This information is subject to regular updates.

A correction was made on April 24, 2025, regarding the number of layoffs in March.

Transform the following statement:

“The team failed to meet their sales target this quarter.”

into a positive statement.

“The team is determined to exceed their sales target in the next quarter.”