Survey: 59% of AI-Using Managers Turn to AI When Making Layoff Decisions

HR Dive · United States · Jul 31, 2026

A ResumeTemplates.com survey of 1,000 U.S. managers who use AI at work found that 59% use AI to help decide who to lay off and 58% use it when deciding terminations. Concerning factors fed into AI models include sick days, age, and medical leave — categories that carry legal risk under discrimination and wrongful-termination law. Compounding the exposure, 38% of managers reported no training on ethical AI use in HR decisions, and 58% could not confirm whether their company's AI tools had been tested for bias. For staffing firms, the findings signal growing compliance and liability risk for clients using unvetted AI in workforce reduction decisions.