Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Oracle, Microsoft, Intel and Disney Cuts Add at Least 2,400 Tech Layoffs as Third Quarter Closes
At least 2,400 U.S. tech workers were recently laid off or warned of impending job cuts as the third quarter of 2026 closed, according to the Crunchbase News Tech Layoffs Tracker, updated Sept. 30. Oracle led the count with about 800 workers, including 359 in Washington state and 441 in California. Microsoft is cutting around 500 workers, 268 of them from its Xbox gaming division, according to a report cited by Crunchbase. Intel cut 52 workers at four locations in Santa Clara, California. Disney pared about 300 workers from its human resources and technology divisions. Cap table platform Pulley said it is shutting down effective Dec. 8.
Sources: Crunchbase News
Private Employers Added 90,000 Jobs in September as Job-Changers Saw 4.8% Pay Gains
U.S. private sector employment rose by 90,000 in September, payroll firm ADP reported Wednesday, marking the first time since May that hiring has accelerated. The gain outpaced the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 68,000. Education and health services added 55,000 jobs and leisure and hospitality added 22,000, while financial activities lost 16,000 and professional and business services lost 11,000. Workers who changed jobs within a year saw base pay rise 4.8%, compared with 3% for those who stayed more than a year. “After a three-month slowdown, job creation rebounded and pay growth remained solid,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist with ADP. Overall worker pay rose 3.2% for the year.
LinkedIn Launches Hiring Assistant 2 With Recruiter Memory and Candidate Receptiveness Signals
LinkedIn announced Hiring Assistant 2, an update to its AI-powered recruitment tool, which the company said has improved reasoning, memory and personalization. LinkedIn said the assistant can factor in what a recruiter has hired for in the past, such as proximity to the office, industry and experience level. The tool will also show signals explaining why candidates match and indicate how receptive a candidate might be, based on platform engagement, Open to Work details and InMail responsiveness. LinkedIn said more than 20,000 companies use its agentic hiring solutions, and that recruiters are four times more likely to contact candidates sourced by Hiring Assistant than through traditional methods.
Sources: Social Media Today
Second Federal Judge Blocks $100,000 Fee on New H-1B Visas
A second federal judge on Wednesday blocked the $100,000 fee President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, Reuters reported. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland, California, ruled that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the State Department failed to follow necessary rule-making processes before implementing the fee. Gilliam granted a request by a coalition of unions, employers and nonprofits to block the fee pending the outcome of their lawsuit. A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the fee in June. Technology companies rely heavily on H-1B workers, and the visas had typically come with about $2,000 to $5,000 in fees.
Sources: Reuters via U.S. News
ElevenLabs Lets Employees Sell Shares in $300 Million Tender at $22 Billion Valuation
Voice AI startup ElevenLabs announced Wednesday that it is allowing employees to cash out a portion of their vested equity at a $22 billion valuation, double the $11 billion valuation it reached when it raised $500 million in February, TechCrunch reported. The $300 million tender offer was co-led by Wellington and T. Rowe Price. TechCrunch said the offering is part of a growing trend among fast-growing AI startups that use employee liquidity as a retention tool to keep staff from leaving for competitors. It is the second secondary transaction ElevenLabs has authorized for employees, following a $100 million tender at a $6.6 billion valuation in September 2025.
Sources: TechCrunch
Microsoft Science President Peter Lee to Leave Microsoft
Peter Lee, the president of Microsoft Science who for years led the company’s internal research unit, will leave Microsoft, he announced Wednesday, The Information reported. Lee is the latest in a string of senior executive departures from Microsoft announced this year. The Information listed Office and Windows boss Rajesh Jha, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer, chief communications officer Frank Shaw and security chief Charlie Bell among the executives who have announced exits so far in 2026.
Sources: The Information
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency