If you’ve spent any time on LinkedIn lately, your feed is probably a chaotic mix of "Open to Work" banners and celebratory "I’m starting a new chapter" posts. It's weird out there. We’ve moved past the massive, headline-grabbing purges of 2023 and 2024, but the churn hasn't actually stopped. People are still hunting for a reliable who is leaving tracker because the tech industry currently feels like a game of musical chairs where the music never actually stops—it just changes volume. Honestly, keeping up with who is out and who is in has become a full-time hobby for recruiters and anxious engineers alike.
The landscape of 2026 is fundamentally different from the post-pandemic boom. Back then, people left because they wanted a 40% raise and a remote villa in Bali. Now? The "who is leaving" data points toward a more surgical kind of movement. We're seeing "quiet quitting" replaced by "loud exiting," where high-level executives and mid-tier managers are being displaced not just by budget cuts, but by a radical shift in how software is actually built.
Why Everyone is Watching the Who is Leaving Tracker Right Now
Why do we care so much? It’s not just gossip. When a Lead Engineer leaves a Tier-1 firm like NVIDIA or OpenAI, it’s a signal. It tells us about internal pivots, burnout levels, or perhaps a shift in a company’s AI strategy. Tracking these exits has become a primary way for investors to gauge the health of a "unicorn" before the quarterly reports even hit the wire.
Data from platforms like Layoffs.fyi and TrueUp suggests that while the sheer volume of layoffs has dipped compared to the 1.5 million people affected in previous cycles, the seniority of those leaving is at an all-time high. We’re seeing "L8" and "L9" engineers—the folks who basically built the infrastructure we use every day—hitting the bricks. Some are being pushed out by "efficiency" mandates. Others are just tired of the grind.
It’s kinda wild. You have these massive companies reporting record profits, yet the who is leaving tracker shows a steady stream of talent walking out the door. It’s a paradox of the modern economy. You’d think record stock prices would mean job security, but in the age of "Year of Efficiency" 2.0, no one is truly safe.
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The Real Names Behind the Numbers
We shouldn't just look at graphs. Let's look at the actual movement. Recently, the industry saw a significant exodus from traditional SaaS companies toward specialized AI labs. For instance, the movement of talent from Google's DeepMind to smaller, more agile startups like Anthropic or even newer stealth ventures has been a constant theme.
- Mid-level Management: This is the group getting squeezed the hardest. Companies are flattening their hierarchies. If you’re a "Manager of Managers," the data shows you’re statistically the most likely person to show up on an exit tracker this year.
- Specialized AI Research: These folks aren't being "laid off." They are "leaving" to start their own thing. The venture capital is still there for them, even if it has dried up for everyone else.
- Diversity and Inclusion Roles: Unfortunately, the data from various trackers shows a sharp decline in DEI headcount across the Fortune 500. It’s a trend that started in late 2024 and has accelerated into 2026.
I was talking to a recruiter last week who specializes in "Big Tech" placements. She mentioned that the "Who is Leaving" list for 2026 is dominated by people who have been at their firms for 5 to 7 years. These aren't the "last in, first out" hires. These are the culture carriers. When they leave, they take a massive amount of institutional knowledge with them.
The Shift From Layoffs to "Strategic Realignment"
The term "layoff" has become a bit of a dirty word in corporate PR. Nowadays, you’ll hear phrases like "workforce reshaping" or "skillset optimization." But if you’re the one getting the calendar invite for a 15-minute meeting with HR, the semantics don't really matter.
What’s interesting about the who is leaving tracker trends this year is the geographic shift. Silicon Valley is still the hub, sure, but the "exits" are increasingly happening in high-cost satellite offices. Companies are realizing they can find the same talent in Austin, Raleigh, or even internationally in hubs like Warsaw or Bangalore for a fraction of the cost.
The "Boiling Frog" Effect in Tech Employment
Some companies aren't doing 10,000-person layoffs anymore. Instead, they’re doing 200 people every month. It stays under the radar of the major news outlets, but it shows up on the trackers. This "slow bleed" is often more demoralizing for the remaining staff than one big cut. You spend every Tuesday wondering if it's your turn. It creates a culture of fear that, ironically, drives the best people—the ones who have options—to leave voluntarily.
How to Use Exit Data to Your Advantage
If you're a job seeker, a who is leaving tracker is actually a goldmine if you know how to read between the lines.
- Spotting the Power Vacuums: If a company loses three Senior Product Managers in the same department over two months, that’s a red flag. Something is wrong with the leadership there. Don't apply.
- Following the Talent: If you see a cluster of high-performers leaving a stable company to join a specific startup, that startup is probably about to blow up (in a good way).
- Salary Benchmarking: When people leave, they often update their "open to work" profiles with their expected compensation. This gives you a real-time look at what the market is actually paying, which is usually different from what the job description says.
It’s basically market intelligence for the little guy. The big hedge funds have been using this stuff for years. They track badge-swipe data and LinkedIn updates to predict company performance. There’s no reason you shouldn't be doing the same for your career.
Misconceptions About the Current Exit Wave
People think everyone leaving tech is "struggling." That’s just not true. A huge portion of the who is leaving tracker data represents a voluntary shift. We are seeing a "Great Refocusing."
After the chaos of the early 2020s, many professionals are opting for smaller companies where they can actually see the impact of their work. They’re tired of being a tiny cog in a massive, faceless machine that might delete their access to Slack at 3:00 AM without a phone call.
Also, there's this myth that AI is replacing all these jobs. While AI is changing jobs, the tracker data shows that most people leaving aren't being replaced by a chatbot. They’re being replaced by... nobody. Companies are simply choosing to do less with less. They’re cutting "nice-to-have" projects and focusing on the core business.
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The Psychological Toll of the "Tracker Culture"
We have to acknowledge that being on a tracker—or watching one—is stressful. There’s a "survivor’s guilt" for those who stay, and a "why me?" for those who go. The transparency of the internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you know you’re not alone. On the other, your professional setback is indexed and searchable.
Honestly, the best way to handle this is to treat the data as objective, not personal. If your name or your friend's name ends up on a list of people who left a certain firm, it’s a reflection of the market's volatility, not your worth as a human being. The 2026 economy is weirdly transactional.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the 2026 Job Market
If you’re worried about being the next entry on a who is leaving tracker, or if you’re already there, you need a strategy that goes beyond just "updating your resume."
- Audit Your Digital Footprint: Ensure your LinkedIn and GitHub (if applicable) are reflective of the skills currently in demand—specifically automation and AI integration.
- Diversify Your Network: Don't just talk to people at your own company. Reach out to the "alumni" on these trackers. They are often the best source of "the real story" and can provide referrals to their new, more stable employers.
- Monitor the "Inflow" Too: Don't just look at who is leaving. Look at who is hiring. If a company is consistently picking up the talent that is leaving Tier-1 firms, that’s where you want to be.
- Build a "Panic Fund": This isn't just an emergency fund. It’s a "I’m leaving before they fire me" fund. Having 6 months of runway gives you the leverage to leave on your own terms rather than waiting for the tracker to catch your name.
The reality of employment in 2026 is that the "job for life" is a ghost of the past. The who is leaving tracker is just a modern tool for a modern problem. By staying informed and watching the patterns, you can move from being a victim of the churn to someone who navigates it with intent. Keep your eyes on the data, but keep your head in the game. It’s a wild ride, but for those who are paying attention, there are still plenty of ways to win.
Next Steps for Your Career Protection
- Check the Major Trackers Weekly: Bookmark Layoffs.fyi and Warntracker.com to see regional trends before they hit your local office.
- Set Google Alerts: Set alerts for "[Your Company Name] + Layoff" or "[Your Company Name] + Departure" to get ahead of the internal grapevine.
- Update Your Skills Monthly: The half-life of technical skills is shorter than ever. If you aren't learning how to leverage generative tools in your specific field, you are statistically more likely to appear on an exit list by next year.
- Verify WARN Act Notices: If you are in the US, companies are legally required to file WARN notices for large-scale layoffs. These are public records and provide the most "factual" version of who is leaving.