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September brought big layoffs, a surprising jobs report, and a new twist in global hiring. Here's what's inside this issue:

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Stay ahead of the curve with our curated industry updates, news, and expert insights that impact the tech landscape.

Uber and Oracle cut thousands more jobs

In early September, Uber announced it will cut about 3,300 jobs, roughly 10% of its workforce, in its biggest layoff since the pandemic. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the goal is to remove management layers, cut the number of "micro-teams" by almost half, and put more investment into drivers, merchants, and autonomous vehicles. Then on September 14, Oracle started another round of layoffs to offset its heavy spending on AI chips and data centers, on top of the 21,000 roles it cut over the past year. Tech layoffs have now passed 185,000 in 2026.

What this means for startups?

Flatter org charts are becoming the norm, with big companies keeping fewer managers and more hands-on builders. That puts a steady stream of experienced engineers and engineering leaders back on the market, and many of them are ready to trade a big-company title for ownership and speed.

US hiring beat expectations, but tech jobs keep shrinking

The August jobs report, released September 4, showed US employers added 162,000 jobs, far above the 53,000 economists expected, while unemployment held at 4.1%. Restaurants, education, and manufacturing led the gains. The exception was tech: information-related industries lost 23,000 jobs, which CNBC pointed to as possible evidence of AI showing up in employment numbers.

What this means for startups?

The overall job market is stable, but tech roles are being reshaped. Companies are hiring more selectively, so finding engineers who can use AI tools to ship more with smaller teams matters more than ever.

The $100,000 H-1B fee is here to stay through 2027

On September 19, the White House extended the $100,000 fee on new H-1B workers coming from abroad for another year, keeping the rule in place through September 21, 2027. Before the rule, employers paid about $995 per applicant. The administration says the fee targets staffing and outsourcing firms that misused the program, and waivers are only granted when a hire is deemed to be in the national interest.

What this means for startups?

Bringing international engineers to the U.S. stays expensive, especially for junior and mid-level roles. More startups are building remote teams in nearby time zones like Latin America instead, getting senior talent without visa costs or delays.

Known and Unknowns: Testing AI-Generated Code, presented by Tampa QA Meetup, Tampa JUG, and Tampa Bay Tech & Beer, and proudly sponsored by iDelsoft.

📍 Thursday, September 24, 5:45 PM to 7:45 PM EDT
Hillsborough Community College, DTEC 427
4001 W Tampa Bay Blvd, Tampa, FL 33614

AI coding agents can build complex features from just a few prompts, but vague instructions and hallucinations can quietly add bugs and hidden assumptions. Simply asking an agent to "write tests" isn't enough. Billy Korando, Developer Advocate at Oracle and member of the Java Platform Group, will walk through three phases of testing AI-generated code:

Agenda: food and networking at 5:45 PM, talk at 6:15 PM, closing and raffle at 7:15 PM, then we keep the conversation going at a nearby bar. 🍻

Dive into our latest thought leadership content and technical articles, keeping you informed about important updates and best practices.

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That's a wrap for September! Thanks for reading, and see you next month. 👋

The iDelsoft Team