Microsoft cuts nearly 3% of global workforce, about 6,000 jobs, in latest push for efficiency

Microsoft began issuing layoff notices to thousands of employees Tuesday morning, two weeks after hinting at plans to streamline its workforce by cutting layers of management and focusing on more agile, high-performing teams. Fewer than 3% of Microsoft’s global workforce is expected to be impacted by the latest round of cuts. That puts the number of layoffs around 6,000 people globally. That estimate is based on Microsoft’s latest official count of 228,000 employees as of June 2024, taking into account performance-based job cuts by the company earlier this year. The company did not say whether efficiencies from AI are playing… Read More

May 13, 2025 - 15:58

A Microsoft sign on the company’s headquarters campus in Redmond. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop)

Microsoft began issuing layoff notices to thousands of employees Tuesday morning, two weeks after hinting at plans to streamline its workforce by cutting layers of management and focusing on more agile, high-performing teams.

Fewer than 3% of Microsoft’s global workforce is expected to be impacted by the latest round of cuts. That puts the number of layoffs around 6,000 people globally. That estimate is based on Microsoft’s latest official count of 228,000 employees as of June 2024, taking into account performance-based job cuts by the company earlier this year.

The company did not say whether efficiencies from AI are playing into the cuts.

“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement this morning.

Unlike the earlier layoffs this year, which were performance-based, the latest reductions are broader in scope — affecting a mix of levels, geographies, and teams across the company, including LinkedIn.

On Microsoft’s April 30 earnings call, CFO Amy Hood said the company was focused “on building high-performing teams and increasing our agility by reducing layers with fewer managers.”

Developing story, more to come.