Bay Area Tech Worker Searches Nearly a Year for New Job as AI Drives Continued Layoffs

Joseph Tinner has spent almost a year searching for work after losing his tech job, applying for hundreds of positions only to face repeated rejections in what he calls a “roller coaster” job market requiring “a lot of resilience.”

The 59-year-old former product instructor from the San Francisco Bay Area previously moved easily between tech companies including Verizon, Fitbit and Workday throughout his career. Since losing his job early last year, he has encountered a dramatically different employment landscape, according to a new report on California’s tech sector struggles.

Tinner’s experience reflects broader challenges facing tech workers as companies continue slashing jobs well into 2025. As documented in recent reporting, San Francisco itself has lost 4,400 jobs despite an AI boom as tech layoffs continue. Tech firms including Meta, Block, Autodesk and others have cut their workforces, with many citing artificial intelligence as a key factor in their decisions.

Block, the financial technology company that owns Square, Cash App and Afterpay, announced last week it would lay off 4,000 people—half of its workforce. The company directly blamed AI for the cuts, saying the technology reduces staffing needs.

“The intelligence tools we’re creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company,” said Jack Dorsey, Block’s co-founder and Twitter founder, in a post on X.

The cuts represent a significant escalation in tech industry layoffs. U.S.-based tech employers announced more than 33,000 job cuts from January to February, up 51% compared with the same period last year, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Andy Challenger, workplace expert and chief revenue officer for the firm, said he previously doubted companies could replace workers with AI but is becoming convinced otherwise. “Artificial intelligence has overtaken the attention of these companies in such a dramatic way,” he said.

The current wave of layoffs began in 2022 following a pandemic hiring surge when companies expanded rapidly to meet increased demand for online services. However, many major tech companies have continued cutting jobs even as their profits have grown, citing strategic shifts, restructuring efforts and moves toward smaller teams with fewer managers.

Companies including eBay, Meta, Google, Autodesk, Pinterest and Salesforce have all reduced their workforces. The cuts have also affected media and entertainment companies, including Los Angeles video game developer Riot Games.

On LinkedIn, laid-off workers—some unemployed for more than two years—have been sharing stories about their financial and emotional struggles. Many describe losing confidence, homes and savings while searching for work.

Tech workers who witnessed their employers’ growth over the past decade have noticed shifts in corporate culture. Those previously laid off report the current job search process has become more difficult and time-consuming than in previous years.

A recently laid-off longtime Salesforce employee, who requested anonymity due to concerns about their severance package, said the sales software company previously focused more on helping employees. The worker noted changes in the company’s approach to supporting staff.

The sustained job cuts mark a significant shift for the tech industry, once viewed as a relatively stable place to build a career. For workers like Tinner, the prolonged nature of the Silicon Valley downturn has created an unexpectedly challenging employment environment that shows few signs of immediate improvement.

The combination of AI adoption and continued corporate restructuring suggests the difficult job market conditions may persist as companies adapt to new technologies and business models.