The tech industry witnessed a significant wave of layoffs in April, with over 23,000 professionals losing their jobs, making it the worst month for tech layoffs so far in 2025. According to reports, 23,468 employees across 19 companies were affected, a sharp rise compared to March when 8,834 employees were laid off from 21 companies.
The most substantial cuts came from semiconductor giant Intel. On April 23, reports emerged that the company was preparing to lay off approximately 20% of its workforce in a sweeping restructuring initiative. This move, under newly appointed CEO Lip-Bu Tan, aims to streamline management, reduce bureaucracy, and rebuild a more engineering-focused culture. Intel’s employee count dropped from 124,800 in 2023 to 108,900 by the end of 2024, and the latest cuts further underscore the company’s aggressive cost-cutting approach.
Meanwhile, Meta and Google also contributed to the mounting layoff numbers. Meta laid off nearly 100 employees from its Reality Labs division, which focuses on virtual reality and hardware development. The layoffs, which affected teams working on VR experiences for Quest headsets, were part of efforts to make studios more efficient and focused on future mixed-reality innovations.
Google, on the other hand, let go of hundreds of workers from its platforms and devices unit, including teams working on Android, Pixel phones, and Chrome. The company stated that the restructuring was a continuation of efforts initiated last year to integrate the platforms and devices teams, aiming for increased operational efficiency. The layoffs followed voluntary exit offers extended to employees earlier in January.
In India, tech firms also joined the global trend. Conversational AI company Gupshup laid off around 200 employees in a second round of layoffs within five months. E-commerce platform Cars24 also reduced its workforce by over 250 staff members, primarily in its product and technology departments, citing cost-cutting needs.
This surge in layoffs reflects a broader recalibration in the tech sector, as companies shift focus toward AI, cloud infrastructure, and operational efficiency amid economic pressures and changing market demands.
