Intel Layoffs 2026

Intel is cutting 15,052 jobs, approximately 20% of its workforce, while delaying its Ohio factory project. The chip giant is in the midst of an existential crisis: its manufacturing technology has fallen behind TSMC, its data center business is losing ground to Nvidia, and the massive investments required to catch up are straining the company's finances.

Intel's 15,000 cuts are among the largest in the semiconductor industry's history. The Ohio factory delay is particularly significant because it was a centerpiece of the CHIPS Act investment, with billions in federal subsidies tied to job creation commitments. Cutting 15,000 existing jobs while delaying a factory meant to create thousands more paints a grim picture.

For the semiconductor industry and for US industrial policy, Intel's struggles raise fundamental questions about whether American chip manufacturing can compete with Asian foundries. The 15,052 workers caught in this strategic uncertainty are paying the price for decades of underinvestment.