Workforce Watch: February 2026

Each month brings new signals about where the workforce — and workplace strategy — is headed. February was no exception. Across multiple industries, companies continued to recalibrate headcount, reinforce return-to-office (RTO) expectations, and quietly manage ongoing turnover.

Major Layoffs Announced in February:

Technology & Software

• Block (Square, Cash App) — announced plans to cut about 4,000 employees as AI-driven efficiency allows smaller teams.

• eBay — cutting roughly 800 jobs (≈6% of workforce) as part of restructuring.

• WiseTech Global — planning about 2,000 job cuts tied to AI integration.

• Salesforce — reportedly cut fewer than 1,000 roles across multiple teams.

• Workday — layoffs affecting roughly 2% of workforce as resources are realigned.

• Palo Alto Networks / CyberArk — about 500 employees laid off after acquisition overlap.

• xAI — workforce reduction during reorganization (exact number undisclosed).

Media

• The Washington Post — about 300 employees laid off amid financial losses and declining traffic.

Retail, Logistics & Consumer

• Target — eliminating about 500 corporate and supply chain roles while shifting investment to stores.

• UPS — broader downsizing includes plans that could eliminate up to 30,000 jobs, alongside buyout offers.

Other Notable Workforce Reductions

• Maersk — planning roughly 1,000 administrative job cuts amid cost pressures.

• Commonwealth Bank — cutting about 300 roles as part of AI-driven changes.

What February’s workforce activity makes clear is this: employee movement is not episodic — it’s continuous.

Organizations that treat IT asset retrieval as an afterthought often find themselves reacting instead of controlling the process.

An efficient IT retrieval strategy helps companies:

• Recover devices quickly and consistently

• Maintain accurate asset visibility

• Reduce unnecessary hardware purchases

• Protect sensitive data during offboarding

• Accelerate readiness for incoming hires

As workforce dynamics continue to shift month by month, the companies that stay ahead will be the ones that have built repeatable, scalable offboarding infrastructure — not just ad-hoc processes.