We Need a #SaveTheEmployees Movement# NOW. The Everything Bubble + AI Tsunami: Why Our Generation Faces a 60%+ Job Apocalypse That Could Make 1929 and 2008 Look Like Warm Ups
The alarm bells aren't just ringing, they're screaming at full volume from the U.S. Senate itself. Senator Bernie Sanders and the Senate HELP Committee released a major report titled *The Big Tech Oligarchs’ war against workers*. It warns that aggressive AI and automation by big companies could wipe out nearly **100 million U.S. jobs** in the next decade.
**Link to the report**: [The Big Tech Oligarchs’ War Against Workers (Sanders Senate)](https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/10.6.2025-The-Big-Tech-Oligarchs-War-Against-Workers.pdf)
With the U.S. civilian labor force around 170 million, this means potential displacement of over 60%. Compare that to the Great Depression’s peak unemployment of about 25%. This is not a normal recession. This is a structural, generational wipeout, a world-changing economic tsunami for Millennials, Gen Z, and everyone after us.
Robots and algorithms don’t vote, don’t consume like humans, and don’t need safety nets. We do. We’re not just facing job loss. We’re staring down the **Everything Bubble** on overdrive, a hyper-leveraged financial system, exploding corporate automation spending, creaking real estate debt, and a consumer economy that could eat itself alive. Big Tech is pouring hundreds of billions into the very tools that will displace workers, while Wall Street’s derivatives market is bigger than ever. Every past crash had a main trigger. 1929: speculative bubbles and banking collapse. 2008: housing and derivatives. This coming crisis combines both, supercharged by AI that replaces human labor at massive scale. When mass layoffs hit during the next asset crash, consumer spending (the backbone of the economy) will implode. Companies will then double down on automation to protect profits. It’s a dangerous doom loop. Robots don’t buy iPhones, cars, or groceries.
Here are the hard numbers across key sectors:
1. Technology: The $700B+ Automation Execution Engine
The Big Four hyperscalers — Amazon, Meta, Alphabet/Google, and Microsoft are projected to spend around $700–725 billion in 2026 on capital expenditures (CapEx). Most of this money is going into AI infrastructure, data centers, chips, and robotics.
Key links:
Fortune: Big Tech’s $700 billion AI spending spree
Bloomberg: US Big Tech Ratchets Up AI Spending Past $700 Billion
For comparison: It took the U.S. government about $500 billion over 40 years to build roads and bridges across the country. Big Tech is spending more than that in just one year on AI tools. This isn’t normal growth investment. It is workforce replacement infrastructure. Companies are pouring massive money into AI and automation while cutting human jobs at the same time.
Tech Layoffs Since the AI Boom Began (2022–2026)
The AI boom really took off in late 2022. Since then, the technology sector has seen heavy job cuts:
2022: Over 150,000–165,000 tech jobs lost (start of the big correction).
2023: Around 200,000–260,000 tech layoffs (one of the worst years).
2024–2025: Layoffs continued but slowed slightly, with roughly 95,000–127,000 per year in the US.
2026 (so far): More than 100,000–137,000 tech jobs already cut in the first few months of the year alone. Some trackers show over 137,000 impacted.
Total since 2022: Hundreds of thousands of tech workers have been laid off. When including the full period from 2020, the total reaches nearly 900,000 tech jobs lost.
Big Tech companies like Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft have announced tens of thousands of cuts each while increasing their AI spending dramatically. Many of these layoffs are directly linked to AI and automation — companies are replacing roles in coding, customer support, content moderation, HR, and middle management with AI tools.
The Sanders report highlights extreme risks to jobs not just in Big Tech, but also in retail, fast food, accounting, trucking, and office roles across the economy.
This combination is a record AI spending + continuous layoffs showing a clear trend: companies are choosing machines over people to protect profits and boost efficiency.
- Financials: The $846 Trillion–$1 Quadrillion+ Derivatives Casino
According to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), outstanding over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives hit **$846 trillion** as of mid-2025. The broader global derivatives market is estimated at well over $1 quadrillion in notional value.
**Key link**: [BIS OTC Derivatives Statistics (June 2025)](https://www.bis.org/publ/otc\_hy2512.htm)
https://youtu.be/nEBNTAhBAJc?si=h-zTJ8rmsx6nMOoc
https://youtu.be/TDPQmGIUBWc?si=8d3RGD1nPeK6avGQ
This massive leverage sits on top of everything. A shock from AI-driven layoffs, falling earnings, or real estate problems could trigger margin calls, freeze credit, and cause a global cascade potentially worse than 2008.
- Real Estate: The Multi-Trillion Dollar Debt Overhang
U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) debt alone stands at around **$4.8–4.9 trillion**, with huge loan maturities coming due at higher interest rates. SOme sources claim 14 trillion which is 3 times more than the 2008 before the crash.
Key link**: [Trepp: Inside the $4.8 Trillion CRE Debt Universe](https://www.trepp.com/trepptalk/the-commercial-real-estate-debt-universe-q2-2025)
Office vacancies are rising due to remote work and AI. A wave of defaults could spread quickly into banks and the giant derivatives market.
- Industrials & Manufacturing: Automation + Cost Pressures
U.S. manufacturing contributes roughly **$2.9–3 trillion** to GDP and employs about **12.6 million** workers. High costs and competition are pushing fast adoption of robotics and AI. Job losses could hit hard in regions already struggling.
- Energy: The AI Power Hunger Crisis**
Data centers and AI are creating enormous electricity demand. Tech giants are buying up power, driving up costs for regular people and creating stagflation risks (high prices + weak growth).
Water use is another serious problem. In Georgia, one data center drained nearly **30 million gallons** of water without proper billing or full awareness, hurting local residents during drought conditions.
Key link: [Politico: Georgia data center drained 30M gallons of water](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/08/georgia-data-centers-water-00909988)
We need urgent regulations so data centers use properly managed water supplies instead of draining local lakes, rivers, and groundwater. This must be fixed fast to stop towns from becoming drought-stricken areas.
- Consumer Discretionary & The Economy’s Core
Personal consumption expenditures make up about **68% of U.S. GDP**. Retail, hospitality, travel, autos, and entertainment all depend on a stable, spending middle class. Mass job losses + debt + inflation could collapse demand, leading to more layoffs and automation in a self-reinforcing spiral.
The Human Tsunami: Generational Doom
This isn’t normal “creative destruction.” The speed and scale (hitting white-collar and blue-collar jobs at the same time) is faster than anything in history. Young people face tough competition, gig work, and AI that learns quicker than humans. Inequality could explode as a small owner class captures the gains while safety nets buckle.
We Need #SaveTheEmployees #A Global Grassroots Push NOW
- Stronger worker protections, “robot taxes,” or profit-sharing from AI gains.
- Massive investment in retraining and human-focused jobs (care work, education, green projects).
- Breaking up Big Tech monopolies and reining in dangerous derivatives.
- Updated social contracts: better safety nets, shorter workweeks where possible, and shared ownership in AI productivity.
**The goal is not to stop progress.** It is to make sure technology benefits everyone, not just a few at the top. We need urgent but smart action from governments, companies, and citizens.
Share this if you care about protecting workers while building a fairer future. #SaveTheEmployees#
The alarm bells aren't just ringing, they're screaming at full volume from the U.S. Senate itself. Senator Bernie Sanders and the Senate HELP Committee released a major report titled *The Big Tech Oligarchs’ war against workers*. It warns that aggressive AI and automation by big companies could wipe out nearly **100 million U.S. jobs** in the next decade.
**Link to the report**: [The Big Tech Oligarchs’ War Against Workers (Sanders Senate)](https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/10.6.2025-The-Big-Tech-Oligarchs-War-Against-Workers.pdf)
With the U.S. civilian labor force around 170 million, this means potential displacement of over 60%. Compare that to the Great Depression’s peak unemployment of about 25%. This is not a normal recession. This is a structural, generational wipeout, a world-changing economic tsunami for Millennials, Gen Z, and everyone after us.
Robots and algorithms don’t vote, don’t consume like humans, and don’t need safety nets. We do. We’re not just facing job loss. We’re staring down the **Everything Bubble** on overdrive, a hyper-leveraged financial system, exploding corporate automation spending, creaking real estate debt, and a consumer economy that could eat itself alive. Big Tech is pouring hundreds of billions into the very tools that will displace workers, while Wall Street’s derivatives market is bigger than ever. Every past crash had a main trigger. 1929: speculative bubbles and banking collapse. 2008: housing and derivatives. This coming crisis combines both, supercharged by AI that replaces human labor at massive scale. When mass layoffs hit during the next asset crash, consumer spending (the backbone of the economy) will implode. Companies will then double down on automation to protect profits. It’s a dangerous doom loop. Robots don’t buy iPhones, cars, or groceries.
Here are the hard numbers across key sectors:
1. Technology: The $700B+ Automation Execution Engine
The Big Four hyperscalers — Amazon, Meta, Alphabet/Google, and Microsoft are projected to spend around $700–725 billion in 2026 on capital expenditures (CapEx). Most of this money is going into AI infrastructure, data centers, chips, and robotics.
Key links:
Fortune: Big Tech’s $700 billion AI spending spree
Bloomberg: US Big Tech Ratchets Up AI Spending Past $700 Billion
For comparison: It took the U.S. government about $500 billion over 40 years to build roads and bridges across the country. Big Tech is spending more than that in just one year on AI tools. This isn’t normal growth investment. It is workforce replacement infrastructure. Companies are pouring massive money into AI and automation while cutting human jobs at the same time.
Tech Layoffs Since the AI Boom Began (2022–2026)
The AI boom really took off in late 2022. Since then, the technology sector has seen heavy job cuts:
2022: Over 150,000–165,000 tech jobs lost (start of the big correction).
2023: Around 200,000–260,000 tech layoffs (one of the worst years).
2024–2025: Layoffs continued but slowed slightly, with roughly 95,000–127,000 per year in the US.
2026 (so far): More than 100,000–137,000 tech jobs already cut in the first few months of the year alone. Some trackers show over 137,000 impacted.
Total since 2022: Hundreds of thousands of tech workers have been laid off. When including the full period from 2020, the total reaches nearly 900,000 tech jobs lost.
Big Tech companies like Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft have announced tens of thousands of cuts each while increasing their AI spending dramatically. Many of these layoffs are directly linked to AI and automation — companies are replacing roles in coding, customer support, content moderation, HR, and middle management with AI tools.
The Sanders report highlights extreme risks to jobs not just in Big Tech, but also in retail, fast food, accounting, trucking, and office roles across the economy.
This combination is a record AI spending + continuous layoffs showing a clear trend: companies are choosing machines over people to protect profits and boost efficiency.
- Financials: The $846 Trillion–$1 Quadrillion+ Derivatives Casino
According to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), outstanding over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives hit **$846 trillion** as of mid-2025. The broader global derivatives market is estimated at well over $1 quadrillion in notional value.
**Key link**: [BIS OTC Derivatives Statistics (June 2025)](https://www.bis.org/publ/otc\_hy2512.htm)
https://youtu.be/nEBNTAhBAJc?si=h-zTJ8rmsx6nMOoc
https://youtu.be/TDPQmGIUBWc?si=8d3RGD1nPeK6avGQ
This massive leverage sits on top of everything. A shock from AI-driven layoffs, falling earnings, or real estate problems could trigger margin calls, freeze credit, and cause a global cascade potentially worse than 2008.
- Real Estate: The Multi-Trillion Dollar Debt Overhang
U.S. commercial real estate (CRE) debt alone stands at around **$4.8–4.9 trillion**, with huge loan maturities coming due at higher interest rates. SOme sources claim 14 trillion which is 3 times more than the 2008 before the crash.
Key link**: [Trepp: Inside the $4.8 Trillion CRE Debt Universe](https://www.trepp.com/trepptalk/the-commercial-real-estate-debt-universe-q2-2025)
Office vacancies are rising due to remote work and AI. A wave of defaults could spread quickly into banks and the giant derivatives market.
- Industrials & Manufacturing: Automation + Cost Pressures
U.S. manufacturing contributes roughly **$2.9–3 trillion** to GDP and employs about **12.6 million** workers. High costs and competition are pushing fast adoption of robotics and AI. Job losses could hit hard in regions already struggling.
- Energy: The AI Power Hunger Crisis**
Data centers and AI are creating enormous electricity demand. Tech giants are buying up power, driving up costs for regular people and creating stagflation risks (high prices + weak growth).
Water use is another serious problem. In Georgia, one data center drained nearly **30 million gallons** of water without proper billing or full awareness, hurting local residents during drought conditions.
Key link: [Politico: Georgia data center drained 30M gallons of water](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/08/georgia-data-centers-water-00909988)
We need urgent regulations so data centers use properly managed water supplies instead of draining local lakes, rivers, and groundwater. This must be fixed fast to stop towns from becoming drought-stricken areas.
- Consumer Discretionary & The Economy’s Core
Personal consumption expenditures make up about **68% of U.S. GDP**. Retail, hospitality, travel, autos, and entertainment all depend on a stable, spending middle class. Mass job losses + debt + inflation could collapse demand, leading to more layoffs and automation in a self-reinforcing spiral.
The Human Tsunami: Generational Doom
This isn’t normal “creative destruction.” The speed and scale (hitting white-collar and blue-collar jobs at the same time) is faster than anything in history. Young people face tough competition, gig work, and AI that learns quicker than humans. Inequality could explode as a small owner class captures the gains while safety nets buckle.
We Need #SaveTheEmployees #A Global Grassroots Push NOW
- Stronger worker protections, “robot taxes,” or profit-sharing from AI gains.
- Massive investment in retraining and human-focused jobs (care work, education, green projects).
- Breaking up Big Tech monopolies and reining in dangerous derivatives.
- Updated social contracts: better safety nets, shorter workweeks where possible, and shared ownership in AI productivity.
**The goal is not to stop progress.** It is to make sure technology benefits everyone, not just a few at the top. We need urgent but smart action from governments, companies, and citizens.
Share this if you care about protecting workers while building a fairer future. #SaveTheEmployees#