New Research: Companies Rehiring Staff Cut by AI

According to Habr Publishing data, a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas in May 2026 identified artificial intelligence as the primary reason for job cuts. This situation was widely discussed in media reports at the time. However, in recent months, the situation has begun to change, and a number of companies have been forced to reconsider their decisions.

Results of a new study by the SHL company show that in a survey of over 1,000 employees in the US, nearly every fifth participant reported being laid off or replaced due to artificial intelligence. A portion of this group was subsequently rehired. The study also covered over 1,000 employees in the UK, conducted in June-July 2026, with a margin of error of 5%.

As noted by SHL's global senior vice president Lucy Bumonte, these results indicate that companies are being 'hasty' in firing people. According to a March report by Orgvue, 32% of organizations that cut staff due to artificial intelligence were later forced to rehire them. Major companies like Ford and Amazon have also changed their approaches.

As Harvard Business School professor Joseph Fuller noted, implementing artificial intelligence like other software can be a mistake. According to him, AI delivers the greatest benefit when aligned with human contextual intelligence, that is, the ability to deeply understand a problem and its background knowledge. Therefore, understanding important work processes well increases the results obtained from artificial intelligence.

The study also showed that most of the laid-off employees are ready to return. According to SHL data, only 6.6% of participants said they would not agree to return to their old job under any circumstances. However, employees ready to return are now making more specific demands from employers. Nearly half of participants in the US requested a significant salary increase for returning, and 43% requested written guarantees regarding the retention of the job position.

Additionally, 40% of participants demanded full transparency regarding how artificial intelligence is used in their work. This situation requires a new strategic approach for companies, as they must now focus not only on technology but also on the human factor. As Bumonte noted, AI cannot fully replace people who understand the business, customers, and can show empathy.