Investigation · AI and jobs
October's “AI layoffs”, checked: in none of the five is AI clearly doing the work
Five big job cuts this month were reported as AI job losses. We read what each employer actually said. AI gets named as a plan for later, or as one reason among several, but in none of them is AI clearly doing the work of the people being cut.
Headlines tied all five cuts to AI. The employers' own words support that for one of them, partly: Barclays. For the rest, AI is a future plan (American Express, the Dutch government), unconfirmed (HSBC) or denied by the company (Microsoft).
| Employer | Cut | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Barclays | About 5,000 jobs, 5% of staff, this year | Partly |
| American Express | About 5% of staff | Not yet |
| The Dutch government | About 25,000 civil-service jobs, over several years | Mostly budget |
| HSBC | UK wealth business; HSBC gave no figures | Unconfirmed |
| Microsoft | About 60,000 offered voluntary buyouts | No |
Employer by employer
Barclays About 5,000 jobs, 5% of staff, this year
What the headline said “Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs this year as AI makes work more efficient” ITV News
Partly
Barclays tied the cuts to “greater use of technology” as part of “structural cost actions”, and Reuters reports it is cutting the jobs “as it uses technology such as AI”. Its chief executive called AI the “icing on the cake” of its technology spending and said it “may have a more important role to play in the future”. The cuts came in a quarter where profit undershot analysts' forecasts; the chief executive said: “I am disappointed.”
Sources: Reuters, via KFGO · TechRadar
American Express About 5% of staff
What the headline said “American Express to make job cuts as AI revolution ramps up” InvestmentNews
Not yet
The chief financial officer said the goal is to make the company “leaner, more agile, and also to prepare for AI”. Chief executive Stephen Squeri's quoted comments were about innovation and efficiency, not AI. Reports put it at about 3,500 to 3,800 jobs; the company gave a percentage.
Sources: 24/7 Wall St.
The Dutch government About 25,000 civil-service jobs, over several years
What the headline said “Dutch Government Plans to Cut 25,000 Jobs in AI-Led Overhaul” Bloomberg
Mostly budget
The cuts serve a savings target: €900 million a year by 2027, rising to €3.5 billion. State Secretary Eric van den Burg called for a government that is “simpler, smarter, and smaller” and wants to “apply AI even more broadly”, but the cabinet's plan for using AI comes early next year.
Sources: Bloomberg, via The Star
HSBC UK wealth business; HSBC gave no figures
What the headline said “HSBC plans job cuts across UK wealth business in AI push, FT reports” Reuters
Unconfirmed
HSBC confirmed only that it is “in a consultation period” and gave no figures. The sizes (about half of management and specialist roles, and about 70% of financial advisers) come from the Financial Times, citing unnamed people familiar with the plans; the FT, not HSBC, called it a push to use AI. Chief executive Georges Elhedery has said AI “will change how work is done across industries”, a general remark, not about these cuts.
Sources: AFP, via Malay Mail · ITV News
Microsoft About 60,000 offered voluntary buyouts
What the headline said “Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees as AI leads to efficiency push” CNBC
No
These are voluntary buyouts, not layoffs. The memo from chief people officer Amy Coleman, as quoted, talks about giving employees “a new choice”, and a Microsoft spokesperson said artificial intelligence is not driving the buyout programs. The AI link comes from the coverage, which notes Microsoft's AI spending.
How we checked
We took the five October job cuts on our layoffs ledger that news coverage tied to AI, found a headline for each that made the link, then read what the employer itself said: results statements, executives' quoted remarks, memos and spokespeople. A verdict is our reading of the employer's own words, not of the coverage. “Clearly doing the work” means the employer says AI is already doing the jobs being cut.
Related
- Every AI-linked job cut on our ledger →
- Can AI do your job? The evidence, job by job →
- Everything on Microsoft →
Spot an error or something out of date? Tell us; corrections are made and logged. Written with AI assistance from public sources; checked against those sources before publishing. General information, not legal, medical or financial advice.