the first month of 2026 delivered an early read on how companies are reshaping their teams. across gaming, fintech, crypto, consulting, telecom, ai hardware, and marketplace operations, firms announced new rounds of layoffs that continued the careful cost discipline seen through 2025. this was not a single wave from one sector but a spread of targeted reductions in roles that are expensive to maintain or slower to monetize.

this recap pulls from the interviewpal layoff tracker and includes every company with confirmed job cuts reported in january 2026. the list is updated throughout the month as new filings, internal memos, and verified reports surface. each entry explains what the company does, why the cuts happened, and what the shifts signal for the wider job market.

january 2026 layoffs timeline

a company by company breakdown

january 1, 2026

mercadolibre layoffs

industry: e commerce
roles impacted: 119

what the company does: mercadolibre operates latin america’s leading marketplace, payments network, and logistics infrastructure supporting millions of buyers and sellers across the region.

what happened: the company reduced staff in its logistics and operations units as it recalibrated hiring done during the post pandemic growth surge. the adjustments were focused on improving cost efficiency heading into 2026.

january 2, 2026

storedot layoffs

industry: electric vehicle batteries
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: storedot develops fast charging battery technology for electric vehicles, focusing on materials that significantly reduce charging time and improve energy density for automotive partners.

what happened: the company made staffing adjustments as it realigned r&d spend with updated commercialization timelines and shifting priorities among automotive manufacturers.

january 3, 2026

etoro layoffs

industry: investing
roles impacted: 105

what the company does: etoro is a global investing platform that enables trading in stocks, crypto, and multi asset portfolios, along with social features that allow users to follow other investors.

what happened: etoro cut roles across operational and support teams as part of a broader efficiency plan tied to slower user growth and an emphasis on maintaining profitability in 2026.

january 4, 2026

playtika layoffs

industry: mobile gaming
roles impacted: 500 (15 percent)

what the company does: playtika develops mobile free to play titles supported by advanced analytics, live operations, and long running franchise management.

what happened: the company carried out one of january’s largest workforce reductions, consolidating multiple game studios and trimming operational layers to manage rising costs in user acquisition and live service development.

ubisoft layoffs

industry: gaming
roles impacted: 29

what the company does: ubisoft operates a global network of studios producing console, pc, and mobile games, including regional teams that manage live operations and support functions.

what happened: the abu dhabi studio reduced 29 roles during a restructuring effort aimed at simplifying support operations following earlier cuts in other regional hubs.

ericsson layoffs

industry: telecom
roles impacted: 300

what the company does: ericsson develops mobile network infrastructure, radio hardware, and telecom services for carriers around the world.

what happened: the company reduced staff in business units facing slower demand for 5g rollouts, reflecting cautious capital spending among telecom operators.

meta layoffs

industry: social media and vr
roles impacted: 1.5k

what the company does: meta operates facebook, instagram, whatsapp, and the reality labs division focused on vr and ar hardware and software.

what happened: the company implemented a significant reduction affecting both operational groups and reality labs, continuing the long running effort to streamline its organizational footprint.

goto layoffs

industry: remote desktop software
roles impacted: 4 percent

what the company does: goto provides remote access, it management, and collaboration tools used by distributed teams and enterprises.

what happened: staffing cuts were carried out as the company rebalanced spending toward enterprise solutions and adjusted sales and support functions.

january 5, 2026

jeppesen foreflight layoffs

industry: aviation software
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: foreflight builds flight planning, routing, and navigation software used by commercial airlines, private pilots, and aviation operators.

what happened: reductions occurred after a private equity transaction affecting the larger business unit, resulting in restructuring across several operational teams.

camouflaj layoffs

industry: vr gaming
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: camouflaj is a vr game studio under meta’s reality labs division, known for producing narrative driven vr experiences.

what happened: layoffs were made within the studio as part of broader adjustments inside reality labs, reflecting a shift in vr content strategy.

informatica layoffs

industry: data management
roles impacted: 35

what the company does: informatica offers cloud based data integration, governance, and automation products used by global enterprises to manage large scale data pipelines.

what happened: the company cut overlapping roles in preparation for integration activities associated with an upcoming acquisition.

tipalti layoffs

industry: accounting software
roles impacted: 100

what the company does: tipalti builds payment automation and compliance software for finance teams handling invoices and global payouts.

what happened: the company reduced staffing to streamline operations and focus resources on core automation products.

ericsson layoffs

industry: telecom
roles impacted: 1.8k

what the company does: ericsson supplies network equipment and managed services for telecom providers in multiple regions.

what happened: this larger reduction reflects multi quarter restructuring tied to weaker telecom infrastructure budgets and overlapping service operations.

january 8, 2026

polygon layoffs

industry: ethereum scaling
roles impacted: 60 (30 percent)

what the company does: polygon develops blockchain scaling solutions, infrastructure tools, and ecosystem support for developers building on ethereum.

what happened: polygon reduced headcount while narrowing its strategic focus to core protocol engineering and deprecating non essential product lines.

hailo layoffs

industry: ai hardware
roles impacted: 30 (10 percent)

what the company does: hailo builds edge ai processors for robotics, autonomous systems, and embedded devices that require high performance inference with low power consumption.

what happened: the company shifted resources toward physical ai applications, resulting in a reduction of engineering and operational roles.

foretellix layoffs

industry: autonomous vehicle tech
roles impacted: 20 (18 percent)

what the company does: foretellix develops scenario based testing and validation platforms that help automakers and robotics companies verify autonomous driving behaviors.

what happened: the company made cuts to extend runway and adjust headcount to the slower than expected demand for autonomous system validation tools.

formfactor layoffs

industry: semiconductor equipment
roles impacted: 220

what the company does: formfactor manufactures semiconductor testing equipment, including probe cards and measurement solutions used throughout chip fabrication.

what happened: reductions were driven by a downturn in semiconductor capital expenditure cycles, prompting a restructuring of manufacturing and support teams.

kaseya layoffs

industry: it management software
roles impacted: 250 (5 percent)

what the company does: kaseya offers remote monitoring, it automation, and security products for managed service providers and mid sized enterprises.

what happened: layoffs were tied to integration of acquired products and optimization of overlapping technical and support functions.

rad power bikes layoffs

industry: electric bikes
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: rad power bikes designs and sells consumer electric bikes and related components through a direct to consumer model.

what happened: the company continued its multiyear restructuring plan following earlier financial and operational challenges, resulting in further reductions.

january 9, 2026

okx layoffs

industry: crypto exchange
roles impacted: 10

what the company does: okx operates a worldwide cryptocurrency trading platform for retail and institutional users.

what happened: okx carried out a small reduction in its institutional business unit as it adjusted resourcing across product lines.

wb games layoffs

industry: gaming
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: wb games publishes and develops titles across console, pc, and mobile, including major entertainment franchises.

what happened: staffing reductions followed a review of upcoming production pipelines and live service needs for its portfolio.

devoteam layoffs

industry: technology consulting
roles impacted: 14

what the company does: devoteam provides cloud, data, and platform consulting services across europe and the middle east.

what happened: layoffs took place in its lithuanian delivery center due to shifting demand and delays in client transformation projects.

january 16, 2026

cloudhead games layoffs

industry: technology / vr gaming
roles impacted: 70 percent

what the company does: cloudhead games creates vr rhythm and action titles for the major vr ecosystems, with a history of producing innovative vr experiences.

what happened: the studio reduced most of its workforce as it scaled back production and navigated a slower vr consumer hardware cycle.

january 17, 2026

tailwind labs layoffs

industry: technology
roles impacted: 3

what the company does: tailwind labs builds developer tools including tailwind css, a widely used utility based styling framework.

what happened: a small reduction was made as the company reorganized internal teams to support its product roadmap more efficiently.

january 18, 2026

angi homeservices layoffs

industry: home services marketplace
roles impacted: 350

what the company does: angi connects homeowners with contractors for repairs, maintenance, and renovation services across the united states.

what happened: angi reduced hundreds of roles as it consolidated support teams and increased automation across customer service functions.

january 20, 2026

vimeo layoffs

industry: video hosting and services
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: vimeo offers video hosting, editing, streaming, and enterprise collaboration tools for creators and companies.

what happened: vimeo streamlined teams in sales, marketing, and operations during its ongoing shift toward enterprise accounts.

vega cloud layoffs

industry: cloud cost optimization
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: vega cloud provides tools that help enterprises analyze, automate, and reduce cloud infrastructure spending.

what happened: the company made staff reductions as it focused on enterprise customers and extended runway for product development.

groups360 layoffs

industry: technology
roles impacted: undisclosed

what the company does: groups360 offers meeting and event management software for hotels and planners.

what happened: the company adjusted staffing as part of a restructuring cycle early in the year.

multiverse layoffs

industry: professional training
roles impacted: 55

what the company does: multiverse provides apprenticeship and workforce development programs for technology and business roles.

what happened: reductions were tied to a focus on enterprise learning accounts and updated revenue targets for 2026.

what these january layoffs really show

six patterns shaping the early 2026 job market

the january data shows a clearer picture of where companies are tightening and where spending is being redirected. the cuts are not broad based, but the patterns are consistent enough to read the signals.

1. telecom and infrastructure are making deep multi-country reductions
ericsson’s two rounds of cuts, together exceeding two thousand roles, set the tone for january. telecom vendors are still working through slower carrier spending and long sales cycles, and the reductions reflect that pressure.

2. big tech is quietly scaling back vr and ar bets
meta’s reductions, camouflaj’s restructuring, and regional cuts at ubisoft point to the same trend: immersive platforms are no longer treated as growth engines. budgets are being pulled back in favor of projects with clearer near term returns.

3. fintech operations and automation-heavy roles are being streamlined
firms like tipalti and etoro trimmed teams tied to finance ops, risk, and manual workflows. these are not collapse level cuts, but ongoing efficiency work that began late last year.

4. cloud and saas companies are trimming sales, support, and gtm layers
goto, vimeo, vega cloud, and groups360 all made reductions in customer facing or revenue enablement functions. the reshaping reflects a shift toward leaner gtm models rather than product driven cuts.

5. gaming contraction is still underway
ubisoft, wb games, cloudhead, and playtika all made january adjustments. the industry is still correcting for the aggressive hiring cycles of 2020 to 2022, and regional studios continue to take the first hit.

6. marketplaces and logistics teams are right-sizing after years of over-hiring
mercadolibre, rad power bikes, and angi all reduced operational layers. as demand stabilizes and automation improves, these teams are no longer staffed at 2021 growth levels.

in the first half of january 2026, layoffs swept across industries such as gaming, fintech, consulting, crypto, and marketplace tech. companies like playtika, angi, ubisoft, cloudhead games, etoro, and hailo all announced reductions ranging from small team changes to cuts of several hundred employees. gaming studios accounted for some of the biggest shifts, while fintech and ai hardware firms made smaller, strategic adjustments.

full january 2026 layoffs list (updated)

FAQ

which companies laid off employees in january 2026?

dozens of firms across gaming, fintech, telecom, crypto, ai hardware, and marketplace operations carried out confirmed layoffs this month. the full list is updated daily on the interviewpal layoff tracker and includes every company with verified reductions.

what industries were hit the hardest this month?

telecom infrastructure, gaming studios, fintech operations, and marketplace logistics saw the most concentrated cuts. vr and ar teams also continued to shrink as companies shifted budgets away from experimental product lines. operations, customer support, and finance roles experienced the highest impact across all industries.

were january layoffs worse than previous months?

not in volume, but the pattern is notable. january 2026 brought fewer mass layoffs compared to mid-2023 and early 2024, but the cuts were more targeted. instead of large company-wide reductions, firms trimmed specific functions tied to cost centers, slow-growth units, or organizational overlap.

what roles were most affected?

customer support, operations, finance, and corporate strategy saw the highest concentration of cuts. data analysts and marketing roles were impacted at a medium level. software engineers remained at lower risk, except in gaming and vr studios where multiple teams were consolidated.

why are so many companies cutting jobs at the start of the year?

january is a common moment for companies to reset budgets, reorganize teams, and align headcount with new forecasts. when fundraising is slower or margins tighten, firms often front-load their cost adjustments in the first quarter.

are more layoffs expected later in 2026?

early signals suggest that targeted trimming will continue through q1, especially in gaming, fintech operations, and telecom infrastructure. however, broad tech-wide mass layoffs like those seen in 2022 and 2023 are not expected unless market conditions shift sharply.

where can I track layoffs in real time?

the interviewpal layoff tracker updates every confirmed reduction across industries, includes company pages with role-level context, and provides a risk dashboard that helps job seekers understand market shifts.