Microsoft plans to cut thousands of jobs with some roles expected to be eliminated in human resources and engineering divisions, according to media reports on Tuesday (Jan 17).
The expected layoffs would be the latest in the US technology sector, where companies including Amazon.com and Meta Platforms have announced retrenchment exercises in response to slowing demand and a worsening global economic outlook
Microsoft’s move could indicate that the tech sector may continue to shed jobs.
“From a big picture perspective, another pending round of layoffs at Microsoft suggests the environment is not improving, and likely continues to worsen,” Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff said.
UK broadcaster Sky News reported, citing sources, that Microsoft plans to cut about 5 per cent of its workforce, or about 11,000 roles.
The company plans to cut jobs in a number of engineering divisions on Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported, according to a person familiar with the matter, while Insider reported that Microsoft could cut recruiting staff by as much as one-third.
The cuts will be significantly larger than other rounds in the past year, the Bloomberg report said