Artificial intelligence led all employer-cited reasons for U.S. job cuts in March, accounting for 15,341 of the month’s 60,620 announced layoffs, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
That’s 25% of all cuts for the month, up from roughly 10% in February.
Since Challenger began tracking AI as a reason in 2023, employers have now cited it in 99,470 layoff announcements, or 3.5% of all cuts during that period.
What The Numbers Show
Total U.S. job cuts rose 25% from February to March but are down 78% from March 2025, when a wave of federal layoffs pushed that month’s total to 275,240.
For the first quarter overall, employers announced 217,362 cuts. That’s the lowest Q1 total since 2022.
AI ranks fifth among all cited reasons year-to-date, behind market and economic conditions, restructuring, closings, and contract loss. But its share is growing. In all of 2025, AI accounted for 5% of cited cuts. Through Q1 2026, it’s at 13%.
These are employer-stated reasons, not independently verified causes. Companies may cite AI when cuts involve broader cost restructuring.
Technology Sector Hit Hardest
Technology companies announced 18,720 cuts in March alone, bringing the 2026 total to 52,050. That’s up 40% from the 37,097 tech cuts announced in the same period last year. It’s the highest year-to-date total for the sector since 2023.
Andy Challenger, the firm’s chief revenue officer, said the pattern goes beyond traditional cost-cutting.
“Companies are shifting budgets toward AI investments at the expense of jobs. The actual replacing of roles can be seen in Technology companies, where AI can replace coding functions. Other industries are testing the limits of this new technology, and while it can’t replace jobs completely, it is costing jobs.”
Dell accounted for a large portion of March’s tech cuts based on its latest annual filing, according to the report. Oracle reportedly began layoffs late last month but has not released a total. Meta is also cutting roles in its Reality Labs division as it redirects resources toward AI.
Other Industries
Transportation companies announced the second-most cuts year-to-date with 32,241, up 703% from the same period in 2025. It’s the highest Q1 total for the sector on record.
Healthcare announced 23,520 cuts in Q1, also a record for the sector.
The news industry, tracked as a subset of media, announced 639 cuts through Q1 2026, up 12% from 573 in the same period last year.
Why This Matters
The Challenger data puts company-level numbers behind what workforce projections have estimated.
SEJ recently covered the Tufts American AI Jobs Risk Index, which ranked computer programmers at 55% vulnerability and web developers at 46%.
See a short summary of that report below:
Challenger’s report separately shows tech sector cuts at their highest since 2023 and AI as the top employer-cited reason for March layoffs overall. The two datasets measure different things, but they point in the same direction.
For people working in search, content, and digital marketing, Challenger’s data adds another reference point to track alongside academic projections and company earnings calls.
Looking Ahead
Challenger said he expects more tech layoffs in 2026 as companies continue redirecting budgets toward AI.
“One thing that is clear is that AI is changing work and the workforce. Workers will need to be more strategic as they lead AI-powered agents that handle increasingly complex tasks.”
Challenger, Gray & Christmas publishes updated cut data monthly.
Featured Image: Creativa Images/Shutterstock
