There are two sectors of the economy that are supposed to be impervious to unemployment – healthcare and information technology. Tech jobs are supposed to be a constant employment source given the proliferation of mobile computing and the growth of cloud computing. The rise in technical schools, technology boot camps, and IT certifications makes it seem as if the field of technology is only on the upward path.

Overall profits reported by technology companies in the last few years also indicate steady growth in information technology. While not moving as fast as the dot com bubble of the 1990s, industry earnings doubled between 2008 and 2012 and reached over $182 billion in 2012. All predictions had previously indicated that 2013 would also see growth. The forecast was for 7 to 10 percent growth for the entire industry. So many were surprised in 2013 when powerhouse companies such as IBM, Cisco, and even Zynga laid off thousands of workers worldwide. The reasons cited were lack of growth, falling stock prices, a need to restructure, and shift to focus on core products. Two startups blamed the market, stating that buyers weren’t ready for their offerings.

Read on to see the worst offenders in IT job losses and the reasons given by the companies.

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