Artificial intelligence has become the single leading reason employers cite for job cuts in the United States in 2026, according to layoff tracking data. AI-related layoffs in the January-August period already surpassed the combined total recorded across all of 2024 and 2025, with roughly 116,175 US job cuts attributed to AI, about 22% of all announced cuts and more than double the 54,836 recorded for the whole of 2025.
The trend accelerated sharply through the year: AI accounted for nearly 40% of all announced job cuts in May, up from just 7% in January. Roles with the highest overlap with current AI capabilities, including programming, customer service, and content-related work, have proven the most exposed, while demand has held up for machine learning infrastructure, AI safety, and applied research roles.