GitLab, an American software company, has joined the growing list of tech firms announcing layoffs. In a memo, CEO Bill Staples said the company plans to cut its workforce by up to 30 percent in certain markets. At the same time, however, GitLab appears to be actively recruiting talent in India.
For context, GitLab had a global workforce of 2,580 employees as of January 2026, although the company has not disclosed the exact number of employees expected to be affected by the layoffs.
In the memo, Bill Staples said the company aims to cut costs through workforce reductions and redirect those savings towards artificial intelligence investments. “We intend to reinvest the vast majority of savings back into the business to accelerate our unique opportunity in the agentic era,” he wrote.
Bill Staples further stated that the restructuring process would be carried out transparently and would include a voluntary separation programme, allowing employees the option to leave the company on their own terms within a specified period.
At first glance, GitLab’s move appears similar to recent workforce cuts announced by major tech companies such as Meta and Amazon, both of which have laid off thousands of employees. However, the software company also seems to be preparing for fresh hiring in select areas.
GitLab Opens India Vacancies While Cutting Jobs Globally
On LinkedIn, GitLab currently has more than 20 job openings for India-based positions. Notably, these roles are remote rather than work-from-office (WFO) jobs. The openings include positions such as Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), AI Engineer, and Customer Success Engineer.
Users on X were quick to highlight the contradiction. One user wrote, “The GitLab CEO is talking extensively about shifting towards AI agents, but a quick LinkedIn search shows several open positions in India.”
The post also questioned whether AI was genuinely the reason behind the layoffs, adding, “Is this just another company using AI as an excuse in 2026?” Earlier, Sam Altman had also suggested that some companies were citing AI as a justification for reducing their workforce.
However, it is important to note that GitLab also continues to advertise job openings in other regions, including the United States.
Although the company is preparing for layoffs, certain markets such as India and the US may see a smaller impact as GitLab shifts its focus towards reducing the number of countries in which it operates. Employees affected by the restructuring are expected to be notified soon, with the company aiming to complete the process by June 1, 2026 – just a day before the release of its quarterly earnings report.