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Engineer Cut in Walmart’s 1,500-Role Layoff Cites Overhiring, Not AI

He has applied to about 40 roles with 15 interviews, noting that consistent demand for seasoned engineers coexists with stronger AI-skill preferences.

Overview

  • July 2025 marked his fourth layoff when Walmart Global Tech eliminated around 1,500 positions, including his principal engineer role.
  • His earlier job losses occurred in 2008 at Sun Microsystems, in 2019 at a plagiarism-checker company, and during pandemic-driven cuts in early 2020.
  • Kriguer blames venture-capital-fueled overhiring and subsequent budget cuts for tech layoffs rather than AI adoption.
  • Despite initial reluctance, he finds AI-powered code-review tools helpful and observes that many job listings now require AI experience.
  • He has submitted roughly 40 applications and interviewed with 15 companies, reflecting his view that demand for experienced software engineers remains stable.