October Tech Layoffs: What They Mean for Filipino IT Job Seekers

Netflix told staff on October 14, 2026 that it would cut about 1,000 jobs, roughly 6% of its workforce, mostly in product, technology, legal and HR, TechCrunch reported. eBay, HubSpot, Electronic Arts and Flock Safety also announced cuts around the same time, according to Newsweek. For Filipinos chasing remote or overseas IT work, the short version is this: more experienced US tech workers are on the market, US hiring is slow, and most of these companies did not say AI caused the cuts.

None of these companies are household names in Ortigas hiring circles, except maybe Netflix. But if you're applying to US startups on LinkedIn or remote boards, these layoffs shape who you're competing with next month.

Which companies announced layoffs in October 2026?

Here's what TechCrunch and Newsweek reported:

• Netflix: about 1,000 jobs, around 6% of staff. TechCrunch said Netflix had about 16,000 full-time employees at the end of 2025. Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters wrote in a memo, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, that the company must "be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources."
• eBay: about 1,000 jobs, roughly 9%, after about 800 in February, per Newsweek. A spokesperson spoke of "aligning our teams and resources with our top strategic priorities."
• HubSpot: about 660 jobs, roughly 7%, per Newsweek.
• Flock Safety: about 270 jobs, roughly 18%, per Newsweek.
• Electronic Arts: about 400 jobs, roughly 3%, as part of a restructuring that includes closing BioWare, per Newsweek.

Newsweek also noted Oracle's annual disclosure showing its workforce down about 21,000 over the past year.

Is AI behind these layoffs?

Mostly not, at least not officially. In Newsweek's rundown, Oracle was the company that explicitly linked its workforce reductions to "the adoption and deployment of AI technologies across our operations." Netflix and eBay framed their cuts as prioritization. TechCrunch tied Netflix's cuts to competition for viewers from YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, not to AI.

Experts quoted by Newsweek disagreed on the role of AI. HR consultant Bryan Driscoll said AI can be a "scapegoat" for plain cost-cutting. Kevin Thompson of 9i Capital Group said AI investment may be contributing to cuts in "fungible positions," and that "tech is highly cyclical, and we should continue to expect layoffs in this space."

My take: for your job hunt, the reason matters less than the effect. Whether it's AI or budgets, the companies are hiring fewer people and choosing more carefully.

How bad is the US tech job market right now?

It's slow, with layoffs up and hiring weak. Newsweek cited these figures:

• Challenger, Gray and Christmas: 165,925 tech job cuts announced through September 2026, up 54% from the same period in 2025. Tech made up 29% of announced US job cuts.
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics: the US added 29,000 jobs in September and unemployment was 4.2%.
• TrueUp's tally: more than 190,000 tech jobs eliminated in 2026 so far.

Economists describe it as a "low-hire, low-fire" market, Newsweek said. In plain words, people with jobs are holding on, and people without them wait longer.

Why does this matter for Filipinos applying to remote IT jobs?

It matters because you're now competing with more experienced, recently laid-off workers for some of the same remote roles. A US startup posting a remote QA or support engineer job might get applications from people who just left Netflix or eBay. Some of those people will accept less pay than before, at least for a while.

That sounds scary, but think about who you're actually up against:

• For mid-level and senior US-based roles, yes, the competition just got tougher. Many of those roles also require US work authorization anyway.
• For roles open to the Philippines or Asia, companies are often hiring abroad to manage costs. Layoffs at home don't remove that reason. They can make cost pressure stronger.
• For contract and agency roles (offshore teams, staffing firms, BPO tech accounts), the hiring logic is different again, and those are often the most realistic entry points from here.

I won't pretend I know which way it nets out. Nobody does yet. What I do know: in a crowded market, the Filipino applicant with a clear resume, a solid async writing style and an interview answer that names actual tools beats the one who just clicks Easy Apply.

What makes a Filipino applicant stand out to a foreign company?

Clarity and proof stand out more than anything. When a US hiring manager has a long list of applicants, they skim. Help them:

• Write your resume for someone who's never heard of your company. "Supported a US telco account" means more than an internal account code name. Our post on interview tips for remote jobs with foreign companies covers the interview side.
• Show your timezone overlap. "Available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. US Eastern" on your profile removes one question before it's asked.
• Write well in English, short and direct. Remote teams work in Slack and email. A cover note that's clear in five lines is proof. See English communication for remote IT jobs for phrases that work.
• Use legitimate channels. More layoffs also bring more fake "remote job" offers. If a recruiter on Telegram asks for a fee, it's a scam. Our list of legit remote IT jobs in the Philippines shows where real postings live.

You can work through all of this on your own. What's hard alone is knowing how a foreign recruiter reads your resume, because you're too used to local jargon to spot it. In the Work Abroad and Remote Track, week 2 is an international resume and LinkedIn rewrite where a coach marks local jargon to remove and keyword gaps against a sample post, week 3 covers where to find legitimate remote and overseas roles, and week 5 is international interview practice. The free preview lessons show what that looks like.

What to do about it this week

1. Reread your resume as a stranger in Texas would. Circle every internal term, account name or acronym they wouldn't understand. Replace it.
2. Add your available working hours in a US or Australian timezone to your LinkedIn About section.
3. Pick five remote roles open to the Philippines and save them, instead of applying to everything marked "remote."
4. Write one tailored three-line cover note and reuse its structure, not its words.
5. Report and block any "recruiter" who asks for money, and grab the free IT Job Starter Kit for a checklist you can follow.

Frequently asked questions

Which tech companies had layoffs in October 2026?

Netflix announced about 1,000 job cuts on October 14, and Newsweek reported cuts at eBay, HubSpot, Flock Safety and Electronic Arts around the same period. Oracle also disclosed a workforce reduction of about 21,000 over the past year.

Were the October 2026 tech layoffs caused by AI?

Most companies didn't attribute their cuts to AI. Netflix and eBay framed them as reprioritization, while Oracle explicitly cited the deployment of AI technologies in its workforce reductions.

Do US tech layoffs reduce remote jobs for Filipinos?

Not necessarily. They increase competition for some remote roles, but cost pressure can also keep companies hiring offshore. Expect pickier hiring and focus on roles that are explicitly open to the Philippines.

How can Filipinos compete for remote IT jobs in a slow market?

Write a resume a foreign recruiter understands at a glance, list your timezone overlap, apply to fewer but better-matched roles, and prepare interview answers that name the tools you've actually used.