Tech layoffs are back — and this time, AI is reshaping the rules. Meta is expected to lay off another 8,000 employees globally next week, roughly 10% of its remaining staff, after first announcing the cuts last month. Those impacted will join the nearly 130,000 tech workers who've received layoff notices since January from companies like Oracle, Coinbase, and Snap. Some tech leaders blame the rise and cost of AI; others are simply continuing a pattern of reducing headcount wherever possible. We hear from The Standard's tech editor, Heather Kelly, on what makes this moment different and how it's throwing once-secure workers for a loop. Then we speak with author and grief therapist Claire Bidwell Smith about processing the complicated emotions tied to job loss — and what it means to grieve the life you thought you'd lead. Throughout, we also hear from an anonymous Meta source about what it's like to work there right now as layoffs loom. 📖 READ MORE - Including the full interview with our anonymous Meta source https://sfstandard.com/pacific-standard-time/2026/05/15/meta-employee-gets-real-horror-working-right-now/ ⏱️ CHAPTERS 00:00 Inside Meta: An anonymous source on the May 20th layoffs 01:35 The AI job apocalypse: 100,000 tech layoffs and counting 03:46 Tech editor Heather Kelly on why this wave is different 07:07 AI, not bad earnings, is driving the cuts 08:50 The broken social contract of working in tech 11:46 Beyond coders: who else AI is replacing 14:36 "Performative AI" and the pressure to log tokens at work 15:52 When AI is also writing your job application 19:17 Layoff survival tips from two journalists who have been through it 22:00 Grief therapist Claire Bidwell Smith on anticipatory anxiety 26:55 When your job becomes your identity 30:50 Grieving the life you thought you'd have 33:24 How to support a partner through a layoff 35:23 There is life after layoffs 36:29 Credits 🎙️ GUESTS Heather Kelly — Tech Editor, The San Francisco Standard Claire Bidwell Smith — Author and grief therapist, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief Plus an anonymous Meta source (voice altered to protect identity) 📬 SHARE YOUR LAYOFF STORY Have you experienced a layoff? How did you cope — mentally, emotionally, and practically? What did you learn that you'd share with others? Email: [email protected] Voicemail: 510-671-5801 🔔 SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW Subscribe to The Standard: sfstandard.com/subscriber Website: sfstandard.com Follow us @SFStandard on all platforms 🎧 CREDITS Host: Emily Dreyfuss Producers: Eddie Sun, Tessa Kramer, Xorje Olivares Editor: Sophie Bearman Engineer: Michelle Lanz Video: Morgan Ellis #TechLayoffs #AI #MetaLayoffs #SiliconValley #PST
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I was unemployed for 2 years, yes I took some breaks and was lazy but took me solid 11 months of aggressive applying and interviewing to get a job. That was 2 years ago. Can’t believe things have gotten worse. ❤❤❤prayers to all.
All my friends in tech who were unemployed, good engineers, literally were unemployed for a year +, other than some dude who became a CEO.
These companies would NEVER do this. Their workers are family! 😂😂😂😂
Also, everyone is getting nuked here in SF, but some how we have lines out the door for 6k studio apartments?
Tech workers DO NOT HAVE UNIONS. Companies are using AI as an excuse, but AI is not doing the work. Workers using AI get more done, but not that much more. All boats do down with the receding tide.
As a younger millennial, I remember the mantra “learn to code” was shoved down everyone’s throat. There was also an air of elitism amongst tech/CS students and workers, and it was common to belittle blue collar work as well as humanities/arts degrees. It’s crazy how quickly the tables have turned.
Glad they never accepted me working for them. I work from home regardless of them for my company. I work for a large healthcare corp too but it’s not super evil, it’s the lesser evil.
So happy this showed up on my feed today. This was much needed relief for me. ❤
Learn to code.
The people who get laid off are LUCKY.... many more especially women and older workers in tech are being forced to quit.
AI is a money pit that does not scale regardless of how much you throw at it. It has to recalculate every value rather that recalling previously calculated data. Agentic workflows are no different but they use up more tokens faster. Everything will end up being a distributed Neuromorphic AI that customized to every individual. Sorry forgot to say AI records your actions so it makes automating your job/Duties easier for upper management. Seriously don't use AI or else you can be replaced down the road. If they don't know how to do your job than it'll take them longer
Having been in tech for 40 years, it surprises me that folks have not saved 'F You' money. I do not live in SF or Cali, but it seems to me you need to take the NFL Free Agent approach. Paid house, paid cars, zero debt and enough investments to live on. That was my preparation over the last 20 years.
I am really beginning to hate the word partner ! 😢
Hey tech reporters, can you please look into the middle to higher management in these tech companies and whether they have the qualifications to get these companies through the AI revolution? For Amazon, VPs with history majors are currently running tech orgs just because they have a HBS MBA but now I don't think those MBA matters much.
To list pandemic over hire as a reason for the recent layoffs when these companies are clearly doing well does not compute.
You are not reporting this accurately. Tech layoffs are not because of "AI" - they are happening because there is literally no way for these companies to maintain profitability other than to gut their employees and they are using "AI" as their excuse du jour. "AI" is nothing more than a word-guesser. Do better research SFS.
Who cares? Tech guys made millions. Boo hoo.
The people layoff are some of the best in engineering , sales , R&D. The companies are becoming bloated with managers whose only skill is politics. Build your own company that uses AI optimally (Not overpromised slop but what its actually capable of) with less than 5 managers and few hundred engineers , sales , market analytics guys you gut most of the bloated companies.
the social contract was broken waves of gentrification ago. fight for yourself primarily as a member of the public. when you disregard your neighbor and our universal civil protections, you allow them precedent to scale the behavior.
Tech is failing because it's fake. Stop forcing fake crap like this AI slop onto the public. Go organic. Let people discover something that's actually beneficial to the working class. Also, get rid of the tech bros. They are cancer.