Most of the jobs lost were in the custom software services and systems design occupation category, which shed 13,200 positions. Overall, about 118,000 tech jobs were lost across IT and non-IT sectors..
According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employers cut 60,620 jobs in March. That’s up 25% from the number of cuts in February, but not as high as a year ago.
“Removing the wave of federal layoffs announced in February and March of last year, job cut announcements in 2026 are closely following the pattern of 2025,” ,” said Andy Challenger, workplace expert and chief revenue officer for Challenger, Gray & Christmas. “Last year it was government, retail, and technology. This year, it’s technology, transportation, and healthcare.”
