Microsoft is laying off around 6,000 employees—nearlyw 3 percent of its global workforce—in its biggest job reduction since 2023, as the Washington-based tech giant continues to streamline operations in response to shifting market conditions.
The company last reported a headcount of 228,000 in June, with more than half based in the U.S. This latest round of layoffs will primarily target middle management, part of what Microsoft described as broad but strategic cuts. Affected employees began receiving notices on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” Microsoft said in a statement.
The layoffs follow a smaller, performance-based round of job cuts in January. Microsoft, like many tech firms, has been recalibrating its workforce and cost structure after expanding rapidly during the pandemic. The move reflects its ongoing efforts to improve agility and focus resources on higher-growth areas, such as artificial intelligence and cloud services.
Although it recently posted better-than-expected earnings, driven by robust cloud and enterprise software sales, Microsoft appears intent on maintaining leaner operations amid growing competition and economic uncertainty.
