Microsoft's latest layoff round hits product teams
What's the story
Microsoft has confirmed a new round of layoffs affecting various teams and locations across the company this week. The job cuts have primarily impacted product and program management functions, as per social media posts on LinkedIn. However, the exact number of employees affected by these layoffs remains undisclosed by the company. A spokesperson from Microsoft stated, "Organisational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business."
Restructuring strategy
Layoffs part of broader restructuring effort
The spokesperson further added that Microsoft will "continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners." This suggests that the layoffs are part of a broader restructuring effort within the company. Earlier this year, Microsoft had cut nearly 2,000 jobs from its gaming division. Last month, another round of layoffs impacted approximately 1,000 positions across various teams including the Azure cloud unit and the HoloLens mixed-reality team.
Industry layoffs
Tech industry sees rising trend in layoffs
The recent layoffs at Microsoft are part of a larger trend in the tech industry. Data from Layoffs.fyi reveals that nearly 100,000 employees have been laid off across tech companies so far in 2024. This follows a significant number of layoffs in 2023, when tech companies let go of nearly 260,000 employees. Despite the growing workforce during the COVID pandemic, significant job cuts have occurred within Microsoft and across the tech industry this year.