4 layoff headlines from March 2026.
March 11, 2026 · CNBC
Shopify Cuts 8% of Staff After CEO Mandates 'AI-First' Hiring Policy
Shopify laid off about 900 employees — 8% of its workforce — after CEO Tobi Lutke issued a company-wide memo requiring teams to prove that AI cannot perform a job before requesting human headcount. The cuts hit customer support, content moderation, and junior engineering roles hardest. Lutke's memo, which leaked publicly, has sparked industry debate about the ethics and practicality of AI-first employment policies.
March 20, 2026 · Reuters
Uber Eliminates 2,000 Positions as Autonomous Vehicles Scale
Uber cut 2,000 positions — about 6% of its corporate workforce — as autonomous vehicle deployments in major markets reduced the need for driver operations, support, and logistics staff. The company now operates autonomous ride services with Waymo in 12 U.S. cities and with Pony.ai in parts of China. Uber said it expects AV rides to account for 15% of total trip volume by the end of 2026.
March 28, 2026 · CNBC
Target Lays Off 1,800 in Corporate and Technology Divisions
Target eliminated 1,800 corporate and technology positions as the big-box retailer implemented AI-powered systems for supply chain optimization, pricing, and merchandising. The cuts reflect Target's accelerated push to automate decision-making that was previously handled by human analysts and planners. CEO Brian Cornell said the company expects to save $800 million annually from the operational transformation.
March 4, 2026 · Reuters
Experian Cuts 800 as AI Credit Scoring Reduces Analyst Headcount
Credit reporting giant Experian eliminated 800 positions — about 4% of its workforce — as AI-powered credit scoring and risk assessment models reduced the need for manual analyst roles. The cuts primarily affected data processing, underwriting support, and regional operations teams. Experian said its AI models now handle 85% of routine credit decisions that previously required human review.