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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Microsoft has said it is cutting off about 9,000 jobs worldwide in its second major layoff this year to reduce costs and simplify operations.
The latest job slash, which represents roughly four per cent of its global workforce, will affect multiple departments, regions, and levels of seniority. Microsoft had 228,000 workers as of June 2024.
A spokesperson for the company said the cuts are part of wider organisational changes aimed at simplifying internal processes and reducing layers of management.
“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” the spokesperson said.
The layoffs, first reported by Bloomberg, will impact units such as Microsoft’s sales team and its Xbox gaming division. In May, the company had laid off around 6,000 staff, mainly in its product and engineering departments.
Microsoft often restructures its workforce near the end of its fiscal year in June. Its sales and marketing department alone has around 45,000 employees.
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Chief Commercial Officer and global sales head, Judson Althoff, is expected to begin a two-month sabbatical in July. The company noted that the leave was pre-planned and that Althoff will resume in September.
The latest job cuts reflect a continuing wave of downsizing across the global tech industry in 2025. Google, in April, let go of hundreds of staff in its Platforms and Devices division, affecting Android, Pixel, and Chrome teams. The company said the move was part of efforts to boost efficiency after a team merger.
Figures from Layoffs.fyi, an independent layoff tracker, show that over 27,000 tech workers lost their jobs between January and April this year. February alone accounted for more than 16,000 layoffs, the highest for any month in the first quarter.
The new figures follow a turbulent 2024, when over 150,000 jobs were cut across 549 tech companies worldwide. Analysts say the trend is likely to continue, as companies grapple with economic uncertainty and rising investments in artificial intelligence.
