Tech giant Microsoft has announced plans to lay off over 6,000 employees, amounting to roughly 3% of its global workforce of 228,000. This marks the company’s most significant wave of job cuts since its major reduction of 10,000 employees in 2023.
Microsoft stated that the decision is part of broader organizational changes aimed at adapting to a fast-evolving market. The layoffs will span across various departments, including the LinkedIn division and some of its international offices, indicating a company-wide impact.
Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood had recently hinted at changes in the company’s structure, emphasizing a shift towards a more agile and high-performing setup. “We’re continuing to focus on building high-performance teams by reducing layers and streamlining management,” Hood noted, reinforcing that the move aligns with a long-term strategic vision.
Earlier this year, Microsoft implemented "performance-based" layoffs affecting hundreds of employees. In May of the previous year, 1,900 workers from the Activision Blizzard and Xbox divisions were let go, followed by another 1,000 employees from HoloLens and Azure teams in June. These decisions underscore Microsoft’s ongoing effort to restructure its workforce and maintain efficiency in a competitive tech landscape.