2026 Tech Layoffs Surpass 185,000 as Oracle Cuts 21,000 Jobs
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- Sepanjang 2026, lebih dari 185.000 pekerja teknologi kehilangan pekerjaan, dengan Oracle memangkas 21.000 posisi atau 13% dari total tenaga kerjanya.
- Efisiensi berbasis kecerdasan buatan menjadi pemicu dominan, meski sejumlah perusahaan menyebut alasan restrukturisasi dan tekanan pasar.
- Pemerintah California meluncurkan instrumen pemantauan dampak AI, sementara ribuan karyawan Google menuntut jaminan pesangon dan pembelian sukarela sebelum PHK.
Oracle cut 21,000 jobs over its last fiscal year, equivalent to 13% of its total workforce, making it the largest layoff in the global technology sector in 2026. The figure emerged in the company's annual financial report published on June 23, and marks a new chapter in the wave of efficiency drives sweeping software giants, gaming, electric vehicles, and payment platforms.
So far this year, more than 185,000 positions in the technology industry have been eliminated, according to the tracker TrueUp. The number is striking because it is only mid-year, while for all of 2025 the total reached 245,000. That means the pace of layoffs this year could surpass the previous record if the trend continues. Microsoft, Meta, Cisco, PayPal, and Visa are among dozens of companies that have announced major reductions.
What sets this wave apart is the rationale given. Oracle explicitly said the adoption and deployment of AI technology across its operations "has and may continue to result in workforce reductions." Visa acknowledged AI is accelerating the evolution of how work is done, though it is not the only factor. Cloudflare said its move was not merely cost-cutting but an effort to redefine how the company operates in the era of agentic AI.
In gaming, Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs, with the Xbox division bearing the heaviest burden: 3,200 positions eliminated through fiscal 2027. Xbox chief Asha Sharma called the move part of a "reset" announced last summer. Sony Interactive Entertainment also cut a large number of Bungie staff, including most of the Destiny team. Electronic Arts and Ubisoft followed with similar reductions, signaling structural pressure in the digital entertainment industry, where production spending has ballooned while revenue has not grown as fast.
Apple, which is usually reluctant to discuss layoffs, reportedly cut more than 200 employees in its Vision Group and Intelligent Systems Experience divisions. The move is read as a signal that incoming CEO John Ternus will put the Vision Pro category "on ice" after the $3,699 headset failed to break into the mass market. Meanwhile, the changes in Intelligent Systems are said to be tied to preparations for a new Siri architecture infused with AI.
"We decided to close the Nashville office to streamline operations and align teams for long-term growth," a spokesperson for the TikTok U.S.D.S. Joint Venture said, commenting on the cutting of 250 workers and the office closure in Tennessee.
Pressure is also coming from below. More than 4,500 Google employees signed a petition demanding layoff protections, including voluntary buyouts before mandatory cuts and guaranteed severance. California Governor Gavin Newsom launched an instrument to monitor AI's impact on the workforce, a signal that the state government is beginning to take an active role in managing this disruption.
For Indonesia, this wave is not just distant news. Many global technology companies operating in the country—Microsoft, Google, TikTok, Meta—serve as benchmarks for labor policy and compensation standards. If headquarters cut budgets, the impact could spill over into regional operations, including hiring and localization projects. Moreover, the "AI replacing humans" narrative gaining strength in the United States could influence union negotiations and domestic labor regulations, especially in the digital economy sector, which accounts for about 8% of GDP.
The Indonesian government itself does not yet have a dedicated instrument to monitor AI's impact on employment, unlike California. The Ministry of Manpower still relies on conventional layoff data, while technology companies at home are beginning to adopt customer service automation and software development. This data gap could complicate the formulation of precise policy.
The big question: will this wave of layoffs stop once companies finish building AI infrastructure, or will it become a permanent pattern? If the latter, the global technology work landscape—and Indonesia within it—will change faster than any regulation can anticipate.
