AI and H-1B visa costs trigger tech layoffs
Big names like Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, and Salesforce have let go of thousands of employees this year, while Google has laid off hundreds.
The main reasons? Companies are betting big on artificial intelligence and facing a steep 50% hike in H-1B visa fees.
As AI gets smarter and hiring foreign talent gets pricier, tech firms are rethinking how—and where—they build their teams.
How the big names are trimming teams
Microsoft has cut over 15,000 jobs to help fund its massive $80 billion push into AI.
Intel is slashing about 24,000 to 25,000 roles worldwide (including more than 5,500 in the US).
Oracle trimmed at least 254 jobs in San Francisco with more cuts abroad.
Salesforce dropped 4,000 support roles as AI now handles a million customer chats each month.
Google also laid off over 200 contract workers who helped train its AI.
Microsoft's internal code is now written by AI tools
Here's something wild—Microsoft says nearly 30% of its internal code is now written by AI tools.
So even as teams shrink, software development is actually speeding up behind the scenes.