Microsoft Layoffs

Microsoft Layoffs : About 6000 people, or 3% of its workforce.

by
Microsoft Layoffs : About 6000 people, or 3% of its workforce.

Microsoft Layoffs: The world’s largest technology company, Microsoft, is laying off 3% of its total workforce. As many as 6,000 employees are being fired. This was shocking when Microsoft’s third quarterly results showed strong performance. All verticals recorded double-digit growth. Then why is Microsoft laying off its employees?

Microsoft has announced that it is cutting 3 per cent of its workforce, which is more than 6,000 of its employees. While job cuts have become fairly common across tech companies over the past two years, this round is particularly significant for Microsoft. It’s the company’s biggest reduction in headcount since early 2023, when it laid off 10,000 employees in one of its most dramatic shake-ups to date. The company reportedly told The Verge that the layoffs are a way to make “organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace”.

Microsoft Layoffs

The tech company has announced job cuts of approximately 6,000 employees. This accounts for about 3% of its total global workforce.

Data from Microsoft’s FACT Sheet revealed that worldwide they had 228,000 employees as of June 2024. Of the total, Microsoft’s majority headcount is in the United States of America (USA) with 126,000 employees, while internationally, the company has 102,000 employees.

As per reports, Microsoft is cutting its workforce in its headquarters state, Washington. About 1,985 people where fired in Redmond, of which, 1,510 people were on-site employees. The current layoffs are the highest since Microsoft’s mass firing of 10,000 employees in 2023. However, this would be the second round of layoffs by Microsoft in 2025 so far, a small round of job cuts had taken place in January month as well.

Why Is Microsoft Laying Off Its Employees?

The reason is not related to employees’ performance or any financial crisis.

Microsoft Layoffs : About 6000 people, or 3% of its workforce.

Microsoft is making money! A Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC, “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.”

Also, Microsoft stated that making organizational changes is necessary to position the company for long-term success. Recently, CEO Satya Nadella also commented that about 20-30% of coding in some projects is already done by AI software.

Earlier on April 30, 2025, Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft said, “Cloud and AI are the essential inputs for every business to expand output, reduce costs, and accelerate growth.”

Microsoft worker shares experience

Microsoft Layoffs : About 6000 people, or 3% of its workforce.
A visitor walks past a logo of Microsoft during the opening of the Hannover Messe industrial trade fair for mechanical and electrical engineering and digital industries, on March 31, 2025 in Hanover, northern Germany. The fair opens its doors to the public on March 31 and will be running until April 4, 2025. According to the Hannover Messe, “more than 4,000 companies will be acting as an interconnected industrial ecosystem and demonstrating how climate neutrality can be achieved through electrification, digitization and automation”. (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN / AFP)

A worker, whose LinkedIn bio mentions, she worked at Microsoft for over seven years, documented her journey and shared the exact moment when she was fired.

Her LinkedIn bio says she started working at Microsoft in 2018. Over the years, she assumed different roles within the organisation. At the time of her layoff, she was working as a manager.

“POV: I was laid off today from MSFT. I had a last-minute meeting added to my calendar by my skip and was spiralling trying to figure out the agenda. FY26 priorities? Reorg? Once an unfamiliar face joined the call, I quickly realised I too was a part of the Microsoft layoffs,” the employee wrote on the networking site.

The employee continued that her seven-year journey at the tech giant has been ‘amazing’. “I plan to take the next few days to think about my career and envision what I want my new opportunity to be,” she posted, adding that she is “Open to Work.”

The employee concluded her post with a few words for those impacted by the mass layoffs. “I know this is not the best time to unexpectedly enter the job market, but I am sending positive thoughts to all MSFTies impacted as well. We got this.”

While Gabriela de Queiroz, the Director of AI at Microsoft said, “I was impacted by Microsoft’s latest round of layoffs.” Adding, she said, “Was I expecting it? Maybe.”

“These days, no matter how hard you work, how much you advocate for your company, or how much results and visibility you bring-whether it’s helping Microsoft become a trusted name among AI startups or driving initiatives to make it a better place to work for hundreds of people-none of that makes you immune to restructuring,” she added.

Further, Queiroz said, “Am I sad? Absolutely. I’m heartbroken to see so many talented people I’ve had the honor of working with being let go. These are people who cared deeply, went above and beyond, and truly made a difference.”

“We were asked to stop work immediately and set an out-of-office. But I chose to stay a little longer-showing up for meetings, saying goodbye, wrapping up what I could. That felt right to me,” adding she said, “What’s next? I don’t know yet. It’s too soon to say. But I trust that something good will come out of this.”

Microsoft Earnings :

Microsoft Layoffs : About 6000 people, or 3% of its workforce.

It needs to be noted that on April 30th, Microsoft announced its third quarterly results. The company reported a 15% constant currency revenue growth to $70.1 billion while operating income surged by 19% to $32.0 billion in constant currency. Also, net income was $25.8 billion and increased 18% (up 19% in constant currency).

At present, Microsoft is the largest company and tech company in the world with market valuation of $3.338 trillion. It has been in a neck-to-neck rivalry with Apple to hold the top position. Apple’s market capitalisation is about $3.180 trillion as of May 13, 2025.

Leave a Comment