AI remains top reason for US job cuts for third straight month as employers axed 97,000 workers in May
https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/ai-remains-top-reason-us-job-cuts-third-straight-month-employers-axed-97000-workers-may
215 points · 29 comments · view on lemmy.world
29 Comments
Zedstrian@sopuli.xyz · 98 pts · 106d
FTFY
Edit: Also, alternative to Fox Business.
Casterial@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 106d
Definitely excuse. So many of these companies dramatically over hired during COVID, then after COVID saw a normalization of profits, and a loss because they over hired.
Take block for an example, double or tripled their employees since COVID, but around 2022-2023 their profits fell off hard - they said "AI" is why they're doing cuts. No, they're doing cuts because they're going under
bigfish@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 12 pts · 106d
Even more simply, demand is drying up as people are getting squeezed from small wage gains and huge inflation. Low demand for goods and incessant demand for "stakeholder value" means cuts have to come. If they're not in quality, it's in overhead (staff) - or both. And now bosses have excuses for both back-office and production staff - "automation" and "AI" respectively.
Casterial@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 105d
Since this time period I've noticed a severe drop in quality from software companies, to the point I have stopped using most products - which in a result drops the companies profits more 😂
bigfish@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 105d
"I'm doing my part".gif
W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 105d
Block (for those who don’t know): https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/business/block-layoffs-ai-jack-dorsey
Casterial@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 105d
I actually hated the "journalism" done by CNN here. This one is a little better: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2026/02/27/block-lays-off-40-of-staff-and-blames-it-on-ai-dont-buy-the-excuse/
W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 105d
Fair and cheers for another source
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech · 3 pts · 106d
I never understood how they were so deluded into thinking it was permanent. Sure we didn't know how long it would last but we knew it wasn't permanent.
CEO of zoom was legit shocked when their stock normalized.
Dryad@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 105d
Thank you. It can’t be both the reason for job cuts yet not show massive productivity gains. The reason is corporate greed in a squeezed economy.
unitedwithme@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 105d
Gotta make the DOW over 50k remember, can only get profits from cutting your expenses, and Lord knows idiot CEOs won't cut ai spending.
OrganicMustard@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 105d
It's also the reason in the way that companies want to invest more money on AI and are cutting wherever possible.
Companies hate their workers and being dependent on them. They will burn all their money just for the promise of getting rid of workers.
tidderuuf@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 106d
It's Fox Business. The literal mouth piece of the elite and billionaire/Epstein class.
If there's anything wrong with the economy it's because of Democrats, Progressives, Socialists, Immigrants, Avocado Toast. In that order.
baggachipz@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 105d
I can’t believe you forgot woke trans people
tidderuuf@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 105d
I believe Fox News priority is the gays and trans folk.
baggachipz@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 105d
Good point. Same basis, different ignorant focus.
FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 105d
It seems the Epstein Class knows the game is up and is grasping for every single dollar before the house of cards collapses, and if all they have to do is just reach out and take the salaries of 150,000 people that they don't even consider people, it's an easy decision.
IWW4@lemmy.zip · 35 pts · 105d
It is such bullshit.
Company’s are shedding staff because they are either in financial trouble or a greedy but don’t want to admit either. If they did the stock would tank!
Windex007@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 105d
Or perhaps in some cases, neither, and they're just developing a narrative that the markets reward.
My company is laying people off. But also replacing them not with AI, but with contractors. And now, some new designation of "per project contracts" or something.
Anyhow, net effect? Less work useful work getting done, new cost of AI tools, AI tools not generating any value, and if you count total humans in the mix, it's at least as many as before.
Moving our product has never been more expensive and we've never done it this poorly before. But the market just sees "layoffs due to AI" and think it's because we (and others) have cracked the code of how to substitute humans with AI to save labour costs. We haven't. Not even CLOSE.
IWW4@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 105d
Yeah to your first sentence…
vk6flab@lemmy.radio · 18 pts · 106d
AI remains top
reasonexcuse for US job cuts for third straight month as employers axed 97,000 workers in Maydan1101@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 105d
Citizens are being told data centers create jobs while at the same time one of the primary reasons for AI is to replace human workers.
The only jobs data centers are creating is construction jobs while they're building the giant buildings and running the pipes and wiring to take all the local water and electricity.
HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org · 7 pts · 106d
You don't say! It might cause more job cuts though when the costs rise so much that there is no money left to pay actual people.
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 106d
Talk your way out of that, Bezos, Thiel, Altman, Musk, Pichai, Nadella, and the Zuck of course.
I dare you.
Rothe@piefed.social · 2 pts · 105d
You forgot Jensen Huang.
philanthropicoctopus@thelemmy.club · 1 pts · 106d
They'll try
Mikina@programming.dev · 2 pts · 105d
I don't believe they will. The can say and do whatever and nothing will probably happen. .
gemakey@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 105d
May? I've been unemployed for over a year.
Etterra@discuss.online · 4 pts · 105d
reasonexcusebitofarambler@crazypeople.online · -2 pts · 106d