X Layoffs Explained: Which Employees Were Affected, Why They Were Fired, and What to Do Next

What Happened at X (Formerly Twitter)?

When Elon Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in late 2022 and rebranded it as X, the company underwent one of the most dramatic corporate restructurings in modern tech history. After the acquisition, nearly 80% of X's workforce was laid off. The platform went from roughly 7,500 employees to a skeleton crew almost overnight, and the fallout from those decisions is still reverberating in courtrooms and careers years later.

Musk's vision for X required significant cost-cutting measures due to a reported $3 billion negative cash flow at the time of his takeover, and the layoffs were swift and extensive, with Musk reducing the workforce from around 8,000 employees to approximately 1,500 by April 2023.

More recently, X conducted another round of layoffs in February 2026, affecting 1,500 employees, with moderation and admin staff among those impacted.

Which Employees Were Affected by X Layoffs?

The cuts were neither random nor uniform. Specific teams, demographics, and roles bore the brunt far more heavily than others.

By Department

Employees from departments including ethical AI, marketing and communications, search, public policy, wellness, and curation teams were among those let go in the initial waves. The curation team, which helped surface reliable information about elections and breaking news, was eliminated. Trust and safety was not spared either: overall headcount was cut by roughly 50%, and the layoffs eliminated 15% of the company's trust and safety team.

By Gender

The layoffs disproportionately affected women, with 57% of female employees being let go compared to 47% of male employees. This gender gap was particularly evident in engineering roles, where 63% of women lost their jobs, compared to 48% of men in similar positions.

By Age

According to a lawsuit filed by a former employee, 60% of those laid off were aged 50 or older, and nearly three-quarters of employees over 60 were affected, compared to 54% of employees under the age of 50. This raised significant concerns about age discrimination.

By Geography

The majority of X's laid-off employees, about 74%, remain in North America. Meanwhile, 14% of former employees are based across Europe and Africa, and 11% of the laid-off workforce is currently located in Asia.

Why Were They Fired? The Official and Unofficial Reasons

Musk justified the layoffs by arguing that many roles at Twitter were redundant, with "a lot of people doing things that didn't seem to have a lot of value," and pushed forward claiming that the layoffs were necessary to rightsize and save the company from financial ruin.

The stated reasons broke down into a few clear categories:

The Legal Fallout: Severance, Lawsuits, and Settlements

The layoffs did not end with the termination notices. A wave of legal action followed almost immediately.

Former employees alleged the company targeted them based on race, sex, age, or disability, or withheld their severance payments. Other suits claimed X skipped legally required advance notice of their firings.

Attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan filed four proposed class action lawsuits against Twitter on behalf of employees affected by layoffs, with claims including that Twitter backtracked on promises to allow remote work and consistent severance benefits, as well as allegations related to disability and gender-based discrimination.

In late 2022, X Corp, previously known as Twitter, conducted a mass layoff of thousands of employees after Musk acquired the company, and in doing so, Musk attempted to deprive thousands of employees of the severance packages they were entitled to, which led to X being sued by thousands of former employees.

In August 2025, a tentative settlement of $500 million was offered to former employees. Separately, X tentatively settled a lawsuit with 70 former Twitter employees who alleged the company broke severance and remote work promises following Elon Musk's acquisition and rebranding of the platform.

Where Did Former X Employees Go?

For all the disruption, many former Twitter and X employees landed on their feet. Former Twitter employees transitioned to leading tech companies like TikTok, Reddit, and Google, with many moving into senior and executive roles.

The aftermath of the Twitter layoffs left a lasting impact on the tech industry. While Musk's drastic measures may have saved the company from its financial woes, they also redistributed a wealth of talent across other tech companies. Companies like TikTok, Reddit, and Google benefited significantly from acquiring experienced professionals who bring valuable insights and skills from their time at Twitter.

This is an important lesson for anyone facing a layoff right now: your skills and experience have value that travels with you, regardless of what happens to the company you worked for.

X Layoffs in Context: A Broader Tech Reckoning

X is not a unique story. The layoffs there helped set the tone for a wider wave of workforce reductions across the technology sector.

The tech industry shed 55,775 jobs across 166 companies in the first 74 days of 2026. If the current pace holds, total cuts could reach 264,730 by December, surpassing 2025's 245,000 layoffs and making this the worst year for tech employment since the dot-com bust.

A major factor driving 2026 layoffs is the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence. Companies across every sector are experimenting with where AI fits into their workflows, often replacing roles in content creation, customer support, data entry, and basic coding tasks.

The roles disappearing fastest in 2026 paint a clear picture:

While earlier rounds of layoffs tended to focus on operational and support roles, more recent cuts indicate that the shift is affecting a broader range of positions, including specialized and senior roles as organizations reorganize around AI-first strategies.

What To Do If You've Been Laid Off From X or Any Tech Company

A layoff, especially an unexpected one, can feel destabilizing. Here is a practical sequence to follow in the days and weeks after you receive notice.

Step 1: Understand Your Rights and Severance

Before signing anything, know what you are entitled to. The WARN Act requires employers with over 100 employees to provide 60 days' advance written notice before a mass layoff affecting 50 or more employees at a single site. If you did not receive that notice, you may have legal standing. Review your severance agreement carefully and consider having an attorney look at it before signing, especially if it includes a release of claims.

Step 2: File for Unemployment Benefits

Apply for unemployment benefits as soon as possible. In most U.S. states, you can file online within a few days of separation. Benefits typically kick in after a short waiting period and can provide meaningful financial runway while you search.

Step 3: Update Your Resume for ATS

Job search timelines vary significantly based on role, seniority, location, and market conditions. On average, tech professionals report 2 to 4 months to land a new role, though senior positions may take longer. That time can be shortened significantly with a well-optimized resume. Most large employers now screen resumes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) before a human ever sees them. A resume that is not formatted and keyworded correctly will be filtered out automatically.

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Step 4: Strengthen Your LinkedIn Profile

Recruiter outreach on LinkedIn spikes after high-profile layoffs. Update your headline, add your most recent accomplishments with quantified results, and set your profile to "Open to Work" (you can limit visibility to recruiters only if preferred).

Step 5: Tap Into the Laid-Off Community

Former Twitter and X employees formed active communities after the initial layoffs. Many organized job referral threads, skill-sharing groups, and peer networks. Seek out industry-specific Slack groups, LinkedIn communities, and Discord servers where laid-off professionals share leads and support.

Building a Resume That Survives the Filter

One consistent finding from the X and broader tech layoffs: the professionals who landed new roles fastest were those who had a strong, targeted resume ready to go. Here is what that looks like in practice.

The Bigger Picture: What X's Layoffs Taught the Tech Industry

Musk's drastic cost-cutting at X set a precedent for widespread layoffs across the tech industry, reshaping talent dynamics and organizational strategies. The model of running a major platform with a fraction of the previously assumed headcount has since been adopted, or at least cited, by executives across the sector.

In 2026, 55% of 1,000 U.S. hiring managers surveyed said they expect layoffs, and 44% anticipate that AI will be a top driver of layoffs.

For workers, that means the most durable career strategy is one built around adaptability: keeping skills current, maintaining an active professional network even when employed, and having your professional materials ready to deploy at any time.

Many companies are simultaneously laying off workers in some departments while hiring in others, often cutting roles in areas like recruiting, marketing, or experimental projects while expanding teams in AI, security, and core product development. Even companies announcing layoffs frequently have open positions, so do not automatically exclude them from your job search.

Final Word

The X layoffs were dramatic, legally contested, and in many cases deeply unfair to the individuals caught up in them. But they also produced a generation of experienced tech professionals who, by most accounts, went on to contribute meaningfully at companies across the industry. A layoff is a disruption, not a destination. The faster you move from processing to action, the better your outcome is likely to be.