AskTheRecruiter · press & media kit
Press & Media Kit
Live layoff numbers you can quote, each with a link to the exact rows behind it. Figures update automatically from the tracker’s database and are reproducible from the public API.
Every number on this page traces to an SEC filing, a state WARN notice, or a named news report. Nothing is estimated. That makes our totals a documented floor, deliberately smaller than announcement surveys: surveys count intentions, including multi-year plans and cuts with no public paper trail. We count what can be verified, on the day each cut takes effect.
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Before you quote a number: which basis
Our published US headline counts jobs physically located in the US. Most announcement surveys count US-company announcements wherever the jobs land. Those are different questions, so the totals differ by design. Both of ours are below, live, so you can quote the one that matches your comparison.
| Counting basis | United States 2026 | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Job location (verified + announced, as the tracker’s location totals count) | 432,822 | Only jobs physically located in United States. The stricter, more conservative basis, so a global figure can never inflate it. |
| Employer basis (verified + announced, for like-for-like survey comparison) | 472,642 | Job location or employer domicile, so a United States-headquartered employer’s multi-country cut is included. This is how announcement surveys count, so it is the only fair basis to compare us against one. |
| Difference | 39,820 | Multi-country cuts by employers headquartered in United States. Each stays labeled “Multiple countries” in the data and is never silently recounted as United States-only. |
Figures update automatically as records are verified. Compare like with like: quoting our job-location headline against a survey that counts by employer will understate us by the difference above, and the reverse will overstate us.
If you are comparing us against an announcement survey, use the employer basis row. If you want the most conservative documented figure, use job location. Say which one you used and the number is reproducible from our public API.
Before you quote a number: which period
We date every cut by the day it takes effect, and WARN notices are filed weeks ahead by law. So 2026 has two correct totals, and they are not in conflict. Quote the one that matches your sentence, and say which.
| Counting period | Verified job cuts | What it counts, and where we publish it |
|---|---|---|
| Taken effect, as of Aug 8, 2026 (the figure for a “so far” sentence) | 467,226 | Cuts whose effective date has arrived. Every statement on this page, the tracker’s cite line and the FAQ quote this figure. |
| Filed for effective dates later in 2026 | 36,445 | Notices already on file, each with a stated effective date still ahead. Documented, but they have not happened yet. |
| Calendar year 2026 (the two rows above, added) | 503,671 | The whole year as filed to date. This is the figure the tracker home page headlines, above the same reconciling sentence printed below. |
467,226 have taken effect as of Aug 8, 2026. The other 36,445 are on notices already filed for effective dates later in 2026. Together they make the 503,671 total for 2026.
Both figures come from the same query. Only the end date changes, so you can reproduce either one from the public API. For the first row, use aggregate?from=2026-01-01&to=2026-08-08. For the third row, use to=2026-12-31. Verified job cuts are jobs minus announced_jobs.
Numbers you can use right now
This week, the latest complete month, and the year to date. Each card is ready to paste into a pitch or a story. Each one ends with a link that opens the live tracker, filtered to the exact rows behind the number. An editor can check the claim in one click.
Generated 8 August 2026, 19:38 UTC. Figures refresh hourly; the wording stays stable. When a period rolls over, it moves to the archive below, so a number you already quoted stays reachable.
This week (rolling 7 days to 8 August 2026)
For the last seven days, 33,765 job cuts are documented worldwide, across 73 companies, each counted on the day it takes effect. No employer has named AI as a cause in this window yet. That is normal for a short window: filings record a cut's size, date and location first, and the company's stated reason often arrives later. A further 3,410 announced cuts are tracked in a separate tier until they take effect, and are never mixed into this figure.
California recorded more documented job cuts than any other US state for the last seven days: 1,583 jobs. Every row names the employer, the site and the effective date. The source is the state's own WARN notice or the company's SEC filing.
Manufacturing took the biggest hit of any sector for the last seven days, with 18,895 documented job cuts. Industry labels come from a fixed list, so the same filter always reproduces this breakdown.
The largest single documented cut for the last seven days: Dird Group, at 18,000 jobs. The entry links to the filing or named report that put the number on the record, so it can be checked at source before it is quoted.
July 2026 (complete calendar month)
For July 2026, 75,835 job cuts are documented worldwide, across 264 companies, each counted on the day it takes effect. Employers themselves blamed AI or automation for 5,153 of those jobs (7%), each with the quote on file. A further 47,575 announced cuts are tracked in a separate tier until they take effect, and are never mixed into this figure.
Rhode Island recorded more documented job cuts than any other US state for July 2026: 9,893 jobs. Every row names the employer, the site and the effective date. The source is the state's own WARN notice or the company's SEC filing.
Healthcare & Pharma took the biggest hit of any sector for July 2026, with 24,493 documented job cuts. Industry labels come from a fixed list, so the same filter always reproduces this breakdown.
The largest single documented cut for July 2026: Aeternum Health, Inc., at 20,000 jobs. The entry links to the filing or named report that put the number on the record, so it can be checked at source before it is quoted.
2026 year to date (1 January to today)
For 2026 so far, 467,226 job cuts are documented worldwide, across 1,909 companies, each counted on the day it takes effect. Employers themselves blamed AI or automation for 42,253 of those jobs (9%), each with the quote on file. A further 481,555 announced cuts are tracked in a separate tier until they take effect, and are never mixed into this figure.
California recorded more documented job cuts than any other US state for 2026 so far: 47,645 jobs. Every row names the employer, the site and the effective date. The source is the state's own WARN notice or the company's SEC filing.
Technology took the biggest hit of any sector for 2026 so far, with 88,688 documented job cuts. Industry labels come from a fixed list, so the same filter always reproduces this breakdown.
The largest single documented cut for 2026 so far: Internal Revenue Service, at 31,000 jobs. The entry links to the filing or named report that put the number on the record, so it can be checked at source before it is quoted.
Statement archive (earlier months and years)
Every period keeps its own preset view, so a figure you quoted last quarter stays reachable and checkable.
| Period | Documented job cuts | AI, employer’s own words | Preset view |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 56,271 | 1,350 → | Open this period → |
| May 2026 | 48,530 | 200 → | Open this period → |
| April 2026 | 69,468 | 22,000 → | Open this period → |
| March 2026 | 43,455 | 2,400 → | Open this period → |
| February 2026 | 36,621 | 6,000 → | Open this period → |
| January 2026 | 103,281 | 5,150 → | Open this period → |
| December 2025 | 47,959 | 0 | Open this period → |
| November 2025 | 92,102 | 4,120 → | Open this period → |
| October 2025 | 111,144 | 16,468 → | Open this period → |
| September 2025 | 65,486 | 34,984 → | Open this period → |
| August 2025 | 43,039 | 150 → | Open this period → |
| July 2025 | 99,853 | 13,445 → | Open this period → |
| Full year 2025 | 734,764 | 76,062 → | Open this period → |
| Full year 2024 | 549,875 | 2,259 → | Open this period → |
| Full year 2023 | 626,922 | 523 → | Open this period → |
| Full year 2022 | 195,911 | 0 | Open this period → |
| Full year 2021 | 191,348 | 0 | Open this period → |
| Full year 2020 | 1,863,640 | 50 → | Open this period → |
Soundbite library
One-line versions of the same numbers, grouped by period and by region. Copy, cite, done. Attribute to “the AI Layoff Tracker by AskTheRecruiter.com.” Each links to the chart or rows behind it.
Two AI measures, always labeled. Verified means the employer named AI in its own words, quote on file. The broad measure adds looser AI-linked cases, such as an AI pivot underway or press AI-framing, and is always larger. The two are never merged. Pick the standard your story needs.
2026 year to date
The AI Layoff Tracker verified 467,226 job cuts worldwide in 2026 so far. Employers themselves blamed AI for 9% of them; counting every cut with any AI link, the share reaches 11%.
Technology was the hardest-hit industry in 2026 so far, with 88,688 recorded job cuts.
United States led the world in recorded job cuts in 2026 so far, with 333,896.
California recorded the most US layoffs in 2026 so far, with 47,645.
Manufacturing & production was the job function hit hardest in 2026 so far, across 27,259 cuts where the source named the team affected.
The largest single layoff in 2026 so far: Internal Revenue Service, at 31,000 jobs.
Latest complete month (July 2026)
The AI Layoff Tracker verified 75,835 job cuts worldwide in July 2026. Employers themselves blamed AI for 7% of them; counting every cut with any AI link, the share reaches 7%.
Healthcare & Pharma was the hardest-hit industry in July 2026, with 24,493 recorded job cuts.
United States led the world in recorded job cuts in July 2026, with 66,743.
Rhode Island recorded the most US layoffs in July 2026, with 9,893.
Retail staff was the job function hit hardest in July 2026, across 3,000 cuts where the source named the team affected.
The largest single layoff in July 2026: Aeternum Health, Inc., at 20,000 jobs.
By region and country (2026)
Worldwide, 467,226 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 9% of them; 11% carry any AI link.
In the United States, 333,896 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 1% of them; 4% carry any AI link.
In Germany, 3,050 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 0% of them; 0% carry any AI link.
In the United Kingdom, 12,300 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 0% of them; 0% carry any AI link.
In France, 500 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 0% of them; 0% carry any AI link.
In Canada, 5,022 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 0% of them; 0% carry any AI link.
In Australia, 4,195 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 45% of them; 45% carry any AI link.
In India, 5,180 job cuts are on record for 2026. Employers blamed AI for 24% of them; 24% carry any AI link.
Figures are current live values and change as new sources are verified. Every number is reproducible from the public API.
What counts as an AI layoff
The hardest question about any AI layoff number is what counts as AI. We never publish one blended figure. Every entry records how directly the employer tied the cut to AI. So you can pick the standard your story needs, and see exactly what falls in or out at each step.
| Tier | What has to be true | Where it appears on the tracker | 2026 jobs verified tier | Preset view |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 AI named as the cause | The employer states AI or automation is the reason for the cut, with the exact quote on file. | Together these are the "AI cuts, verified (specific)" box on the tracker, and the AI figure we headline. Each also has an announced-stage counterpart in "AI cuts, announced". | 25,600 | Tiers 1 + 2 → One view: the employer’s own words. The per-tier split is in the table. |
| Tier 2 AI named among the causes | The employer names AI as a contributing cause alongside others, again with the quote on file. | 16,560 | ||
| Tier 3 AI-linked, no direct statement | No employer statement. An AI pivot is underway, or the press framed the cut that way. Reported separately and never merged into the tiers above. | This tier is exactly what the "AI-linked, broad" box adds on top of the specific figure. It is the only reason that box is larger. | 11,000 | Tiers 1 + 2 + 3 → |
These are not a second set of numbers. The tiers are the same rows you already see on the tracker, sorted by how directly the employer tied the cut to AI. Verified and announced sort those same rows a second way: by whether the cut has happened yet. The two axes reconcile exactly. Tier 1 plus Tier 2 equals the tracker’s verified AI box, to the job. Tier 3 is precisely the gap between the specific figure and the broad one. Nothing is double counted and nothing is invented for this table.
Counts are verified-tier jobs (announced-stage plans excluded) for rows where the employer’s stated reason is on record. Our headline AI figure is Tiers 1 and 2 only: the employer’s own words. Investment in AI, a future automation projection, or AI used to pick who goes does not qualify by itself. If you want the wider lens, cite Tier 3 explicitly and say so.
Monthly release schedule
Each month’s figures are final once that month has closed, and the one-page report for it lives at a permanent link. The release date is the 1st of the following month. Nothing is embargoed and nothing is held back: the link is live the moment the month closes.
| Period | Released | Documented job cuts | AI, employer’s own words | One-page report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 1 Aug 2026 | 75,835 | 5,153 | Open the July 2026 report → |
| June 2026 | 1 Jul 2026 | 56,271 | 1,350 | Open the June 2026 report → |
| May 2026 | 1 Jun 2026 | 48,530 | 200 | Open the May 2026 report → |
| April 2026 | 1 May 2026 | 69,468 | 22,000 | Open the April 2026 report → |
| March 2026 | 1 Apr 2026 | 43,455 | 2,400 | Open the March 2026 report → |
| February 2026 | 1 Mar 2026 | 36,621 | 6,000 | Open the February 2026 report → |
| January 2026 | 1 Feb 2026 | 103,281 | 5,150 | Open the January 2026 report → |
| December 2025 | 1 Jan 2026 | 47,959 | 0 | Open the December 2025 report → |
| November 2025 | 1 Dec 2025 | 92,102 | 4,120 | Open the November 2025 report → |
| October 2025 | 1 Nov 2025 | 111,144 | 16,468 | Open the October 2025 report → |
| September 2025 | 1 Oct 2025 | 65,486 | 34,984 | Open the September 2025 report → |
| August 2025 | 1 Sep 2025 | 43,039 | 150 | Open the August 2025 report → |
Every report link is permanent, so a story that cites the March figure still resolves to the March figure a year later.
Yearly totals
Live figures from the same database the tracker serves, cut at today, so the current year is a part year. These columns count the verified and announced tiers together, which is why the current-year row runs above the verified headline at the top of this page. “AI-attributed” uses our strict standard: the company named AI as a primary or contributing cause, with a supporting quote on file. A separate broader measure is available in the ai_broad_jobs API field.
Data last updated: Aug 8, 2026 · 1:06 PM EDT, the moment the underlying database last changed (a new filing/notice/report was added), not the time you loaded this page.
| Year | Layoff events recorded | Job cuts recorded verified and announced | AI-attributed (strict) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3,266 | 948,781 | 101,678 |
| 2025 | 4,766 | 1,398,687 | 79,344 |
| 2024 | 4,223 | 1,078,306 | 10,259 |
| 2023 | 3,901 | 1,030,556 | 523 |
| 2022 | 1,767 | 326,951 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,791 | 405,760 | 0 |
| 2020 | 13,310 | 2,805,320 | 50 |
| 2019 | 2,634 | 728,700 | 541 |
| 2018 | 2,158 | 576,485 | 500 |
| 2017 | 2,089 | 474,107 | 12,540 |
| 2016 | 2,344 | 714,604 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2,374 | 637,350 | 0 |
Coverage depth varies by year: 2015 to 2023 is primarily official US WARN filings; from 2024 on, worldwide news, SEC filings and European Restructuring Monitor coverage deepen. Methodology and per-country sources are documented on the tracker itself.
How to cite us
The data is free for editorial, research, and educational use under CC BY 4.0. Attribute to asktherecruiter.com and link back where possible.
The accurate phrasing: “According to AskTheRecruiter’s AI Layoff Tracker, N job cuts are documented for [period].” Our totals are a verifiable floor, not a census. They cover what we can trace to a filing or a named report under a published methodology. Saying “there were exactly N layoffs” overstates what any tracker can know. Saying “documented counts” is precise, defensible, and survives fact-checking. Every number on this page links to the rows behind it, and the tracker audits its own published rows monthly against their sources.
Suggested attribution: “According to the AI Layoff Tracker by AskTheRecruiter.com…”
One-line description: “The AI Layoff Tracker by AskTheRecruiter.com, a source-linked database of layoffs worldwide, flagging the ones companies blame on AI.”
- Methodology: how every number is built, counted, and corrected.
- AI layoffs, in their own words: every employer AI attribution, verbatim, with its source.
- Data sources: the full list of collectors and what each one covers.
Get the full dataset
Filtered or full CSV and JSON exports are on the tracker page. The public REST API serves the same data live: GET /blog/wp-json/layoffs/v1/query and GET /blog/wp-json/layoffs/v1/aggregate. Company pages with stable, linkable URLs live under /company-layoffs/, so a reporter can cite one company’s full source-linked history at a permanent address.
About the tracker
Boilerplate: AskTheRecruiter is the open, evidence-based intelligence platform helping workers understand the changing job market and improve their chances of getting hired. Its AI Layoff Tracker is a continuously updated, source-linked database of verified job cuts worldwide, purpose-built to flag which layoffs companies themselves attribute to AI or automation, every figure clickable back to a primary document.
Live editorial tracking began in January 2026. The database also carries historical records back to 2002 in Europe and 2015 in the US. Those older rows come from official WARN filings, SEC disclosures and the EU’s restructuring monitor, so year-over-year comparisons are possible.
Why it’s worth citing
| The angle | Why it’s a story |
|---|---|
| We break out the AI cuts | Most layoff trackers give you one lump-sum number and stop. We flag the cuts a company itself pinned on AI or automation, each with the employer’s own quote on file. That turns “AI-attributed” into a figure a reporter can source instead of guess at. |
| Every number is a receipt | Estimate-based trackers hand you a figure. We hand you the document behind it: an SEC filing, a WARN notice, or a named report. It’s a floor you can prove, not a projection. |
| We count each cut once, on the day it happens | Every layoff is dated by when it takes effect, not when its notice was filed, and de-duplicated so one event is never summed twice. That is why we land within about 10 percent of independent WARN trackers. A tracker reporting several times higher is usually adding a company-wide headcount onto every state filing, which counts the same people over and over. |
| We show where AI is cutting | A live world map, the teams hit hardest, and AI’s rising share month over month: the geographic and functional detail a press release can’t give a reporter. |
| We audit our own completeness | We keep a standing checklist of 51 of the most significant layoffs major outlets have covered and re-check our database against it every week. We currently carry every one of them. Any gap is a finding we chase and backfill, not a number we quietly round up to. |
| Nothing is hidden | A public corrections log, open methodology, the full source list, and an API anyone can reproduce. When we catch an error, we publish it. |
Editorial independence
The tracker is a data product of AskTheRecruiter.com. Fixed, published rules produce its numbers. Counts come only from linked primary documents, AI labels require the employer’s own words, and we adjust no figure for any commercial purpose. The full methodology, the per-country source list, the public corrections log and the collection code are open for inspection. Anyone can reproduce the dataset from the public API.
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The wordmark and “atr” mark above may be used to credit the tracker in coverage. For high-resolution PNG or SVG logo files or a specific lockup, ask through the contact page and we’ll send them the same day.
Press contact
For data requests, custom cuts of the dataset, corrections, or comment, use the contact page. Press and reporter requests get priority, and every correction to a published figure is logged publicly on the tracker.
Get the monthly brief
One email a month, sent when the numbers close. It carries the documented job-cut total, the AI figure in the employer’s own words, the biggest cuts, and the preset links to check every claim. Built for reporters on deadline. No spam, unsubscribe any time.