Working remotely could make you more vulnerable to a layoff than AI

Tech CEOs are eager to blame AI for mass layoffs. But a recent Gallup poll shows that only 1 of laid-off workers agree. The poll finds that layoffs have leveled off at 21 after nearly tripling between 2022 and 2025. Tech jobs and federal government work are susceptible as the job market tightens. Remote employees are among the most vulnerable—25 of surveyed laid-off workers were fully remote. Hybrid and on-site remote-capable workers see similar layoff rates. RTO mandates spark turnover. Bosses know it Cutting remote positions could be an easy excuse to lay off huge amounts of over-hired jobs in the post-COVID market. A quarter of surveyed executives said return-to-work (RTO) mandates were an excuse to spark voluntary turnover, according to a 2024 BambooHR survey. Most surveyed workers said employers are hiring rather than cutting roles, but tech companies have been an exception. According to the survey, 13 of laid-off workers previously worked in the tech industry. In May 2026, Meta cut nearly 8,000 roles while other tech giants like Microsoft and Snap have made similar moves. After cutting roughly 20 of their staff, Cloudflare cofounders Matthew Prince and Michelle Zatlyn pinned the decision on a company shift toward AI. Federal government employees also report higher layoff rates; 38 say their employer is letting workers go, while state and local government employees are more confident in the stability of their workforce size. AI could be more of a factor than the poll lets on Despite what workers think, AI might still be an underlying reason for many mass layoffs. Most polled workers cited cost-cutting, restructuring, and role elimination for layoffs—reasons that likely arose from AI’s growing infrastructure, especially in the tech industry. Meanwhile, workers who do not regularly use AI may in fact be more likely to lose their jobs. According to the survey, laid-off workers were 62 more likely than employed workers to avoid AI use. The pattern holds across various ages, education levels, and industries.