Global Firms Slash Over 25,000 US Jobs in October Amid AI Transformation and Market Woes
Major global companies, including Amazon, Meta, and Intel, announced widespread job cuts exceeding 25,000 in the US this October, driven by AI adoption and weak market sentiment impacting corporate restructuring.
The wave of job cuts sweeping across the global corporate landscape has intensified this October, with over 25,000 American jobs slashed amidst ongoing AI-driven transformations and weakening market conditions. The trend underscores how artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping workforces worldwide, compelling firms to rethink operational efficiencies while confronting economic uncertainties.
Tech giants and multinational corporations have led the charge in job reductions this month. Amazon is trimming approximately 14,000 corporate roles in a move driven by the need to streamline operations and focus on its AI ambitions. The company’s senior vice president highlighted AI as "the most transformative technology since the Internet," prompting Amazon to reorganize with fewer bureaucracy layers to accelerate innovation. Notably, reports speculate that Amazon's total corporate job cuts could soar to 30,000 in the near term as the company adapts to AI advancements and market demands.
Intel is undertaking one of the most significant restructurings of 2025 with plans to cut between 21,000 and 25,000 jobs. These cuts are part of its strategic pivot toward AI chip production and factory efficiency improvements. The reduction includes up to 20% workforce cuts in key divisions, signaling a deliberate shift to prioritize AI-related technologies amid a challenging market backdrop.
Meta Platforms is also scaling back roughly 600 positions in its AI-focused teams, trimming its workforce by about 5% overall. Despite these layoffs, Meta continues to invest in AI superintelligence research, focusing reductions on non-core teams to sharpen its competitive edge in AI technology.
Other notable companies joining the layoff trend include Nestlé, cutting 16,000 jobs globally amid operational streamlining driven partly by automation, and various firms in consumer goods and tech sectors realigning workforce numbers amid automation pressures and slowing growth.
The US job market, in particular, is feeling the impact. Experts report that in July alone, more than 10,000 US job cuts were directly linked to generative AI adoption. Since 2023, over 27,000 US jobs have been lost due to AI-related changes in the workplace. Entry-level positions and roles traditionally reliant on routine tasks are most vulnerable, reflecting AI’s growing role in automating repeatable work.
Economic uncertainty and softer market sentiment are amplifying the laying-off trend. Companies cite the need to reduce operational costs, streamline management layers, and accelerate AI integration to remain competitive. With the US government amid an extended shutdown affecting comprehensive labor data, private sector job cuts provide a stark signal of the ongoing disruption caused by AI and broader economic shifts.
As AI reshapes the workforce, companies globally are balancing between the promise of innovation and the realities of workforce impact. The cuts highlight a transformative period where traditional roles are being redefined or eliminated, pushing the labor market toward higher skill demands and more dynamic capabilities in technology-driven environments.
