NRT briefing
California tech giant plots massive layoffs as industry sheds 14,000 jobs
Based on reporting by New York Post.
The Brief
Italian tech conglomerate Bending Spoons, the owner of Airtable, plans to lay off a “large part” of the workforce, the company announced in an X post from product leader Federico Simionato. The exact number of affected employees is unclear; a company spokesperson told Business Insider it was “not able to share additional details on the number of individuals impacted.”
Simionato said the cuts reflected a “deep belief that small teams ship more and better” and thanked departing employees, noting they are “excellent people and worth a call.”
The layoffs come as the broader California tech industry has shed over 14,000 jobs in 2026, exceeding the 10,170 cuts in all of 2025. Meta, Visa, and Oracle have also cut jobs this year, with Oracle eliminating more than 21,000 full-time positions.
Airtable employees will receive “substantial separation packages,” and Bending Spoons plans to focus on improving Airtable’s core platform and investing in AI features. No WARN notices have been filed with the California Employee Development Department.
NRT commentary
How We See It
Airtable’s latest cuts underscore a troubling trend: California’s tech sector is increasingly shedding workers even as it embraces artificial intelligence. On one hand, Bending Spoons’ rationale — that small teams are more efficient — resonates with a lean startup ethos that has driven innovation.
But for the thousands of employees losing jobs, that philosophy offers little comfort. What’s more, the contrast between Airtable’s plan to invest heavily in AI features and the massive workforce reductions is a stark reminder that technology often replaces human roles faster than it creates new ones.
While some might argue that AI-driven layoffs are a necessary evolution for companies to remain competitive, the social cost is mounting. Over 14,000 job cuts in the Bay Area alone this year suggest a larger structural shift that policymakers and business leaders cannot ignore.
As California grapples with this transition, it’s critical to consider policies that support displaced workers and encourage re-skilling, rather than simply accepting these cuts as inevitable. The state must balance its pro-innovation stance with protections for its workforce.
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