AI Layoffs & Jobs News — 2026-10-25 (Sun) Daily News

Overview

American Express's plan to cut 5% of its workforce, tied to AI, was the most widely covered item, reported by Nikkei, Kyodo, Investopedia and others. Coverage links it to Barclays' cut of 5,000 jobs (Zaikei Shimbun). Surveys of Japanese companies point to lower graduate hiring because of AI (Seoul Economic Daily, Asia Economy, Jaekyung Ilbo). Policy stories focus on worker safety nets in the US and China (CBS News, BW People).

AI-driven layoffs

- American Express will lay off 5% of its workforce to prepare for AI (Investopedia). Nikkei reports 3,500 employees will be cut as the company speeds up AI use. - Barclays is the subject of a piece titled "Barclays: AI-Driven Job Cuts And Overdone Bank Tax Fears" (Seeking Alpha). Zaikei Shimbun says the Amex cut follows Barclays' reduction of 5,000 jobs. Separately, a bank dismissed 5,000 employees citing AI adoption; the headline does not name the bank (Vietnam.vn). - Al Jazeera asks "Why is the UK at the forefront of AI-driven job cuts?" European Business Magazine's headline says Europe's banks lead a quiet cull of white-collar jobs and that "The AI Layoffs Have Arrived." TelegraphHerald.com ran a piece titled "AI-Related-Layoffs"; the headline gives no details. - Uber cut 3,300 enterprise-related positions and, weeks later, rolled out ChatGPT Work to all 30,000 employees (BigGo Finance). The headline does not say the cut was caused by AI.

Hiring freezes and slowdowns

- Seoul Economic Daily reports that AI is pushing Japanese firms to cut graduate hiring from 2029. - One in five Japanese companies is considering cuts to hiring (Asia Economy). 22% of Japanese companies are considering reducing hiring within three years because of AI expansion (Jaekyung Ilbo). - Amazon cut 30,000 corporate jobs to focus on AI, and is now promising 30,000 entry-level roles in the UK by 2030 (Fortune).

Occupations being replaced

The headlines name only white-collar jobs at Europe's banks (European Business Magazine) and entry-level roles (Fortune, Seoul Economic Daily). They give no job-by-job figures. 【Employment statistics and the labor market】 No official statistics, including BLS data, appear in the headlines. A local outlet says the Amex cut of 5%, made to prepare for AI, deserves attention in the Grand Strand area (myrtlebeachnews.com). 【Labor costs and corporate results】 Kyodo describes the cut as management streamlining for AI. Zaikei Shimbun says the company is reorganizing for AI use. No results data are given for other companies.

Research and forecasts

No notable developments.

Policy and support

- US lawmakers are weighing a bigger safety net for workers as fears of AI layoffs grow (CBS News). - China is moving to cushion workers from AI job losses (BW People). - EnergyNow.com's headline cites an urgent need for regulation in North America as it races with China.

Japan's layoffs and AI

The headlines contain no Japanese company layoffs attributed to AI. They report hiring plans: cuts to graduate hiring from 2029 (Seoul Economic Daily), one in five companies considering hiring cuts (Asia Economy), and 22% considering reductions within three years (Jaekyung Ilbo). Nikkei, Kyodo and Zaikei Shimbun covered the Amex cuts as an overseas story.

Statements from key figures

Bill Gates is described as warning that AI will eliminate jobs (EnergyNow.com). The headline gives no title or further detail. 【Integrated analysis: what is happening】 - Banks and financial firms dominate the layoff headlines. Amex, Barclays and an unnamed bank are all linked to AI in the headlines, and European Business Magazine says Europe's banks are leading the cuts. This suggests the pattern is concentrated in financial services rather than spread evenly across industries. - Cuts to current staff and slower hiring of new graduates appear together. The Japanese surveys and the Amazon and Uber items show both, with Amazon promising entry-level roles alongside its corporate cuts. Together this suggests companies are changing the size and mix of their workforce, not only cutting. Readers watching only layoff counts may miss the hiring side. - Cuts and AI rollouts are reported side by side. Uber expanded ChatGPT Work to all staff after its cut, though the headline does not say AI caused it. Amex is booking a cost in advance of AI use. This may mean the cost appears first and the benefits are not yet shown in any headline. - Policy discussion has begun in both the US and China. This suggests governments see AI job loss as a policy issue now, although the headlines show proposals and moves rather than enacted measures. - Caution: some headlines state AI as the reason for cuts, while the Uber item does not. Official statistics are absent from this material, so the scale of the labor-market effect cannot be assessed from it.

What to watch

Whether other large banks announce AI-linked cuts, following Amex and Barclays (inference). 2. Whether Japan's graduate hiring cuts show up in actual corporate hiring plans, beyond survey responses on intentions. 3. Whether the US safety-net proposals and China's measures move from discussion to concrete programs.