Microsoft confirms major layoffs

A photo of the Microsoft logo
(Image credit: Asif Islam via Shutterstock)

Microsoft has confirmed significant job cuts as global economic uncertainty continue, with around 10,000 roles set to go at the tech giant

In an internal memo to employess,  Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella cited a need to, “align our cost structure with our revenue and where we see customer demand."

The company also revealed it will take a $1.2 billion charge in its second fiscal quarter when it releases its full financial results next week, with Nadella saying that the cost is, “related to severance costs, changes to our hardware portfolio, and the cost of lease consolidation as we create higher density across our workspaces.”

TechRadar Pro needs you!
We want to build a better website for our readers, and we need your help! You can do your bit by filling out our survey and telling us your opinions and views about the tech industry in 2023. It will only take a few minutes and all your answers will be anonymous and confidential. Thank you again for helping us make TechRadar Pro even better.

D. Athow, Managing Editor

Microsoft layoffs

Nadella added that Microsoft is “allocating both our capital and talent to areas of secular growth and long-term competitiveness for the company, while divesting in other areas."

“These are the kinds of hard choices we have made throughout our 47-year history to remain a consequential company in this industry that is unforgiving to anyone who doesn’t adapt to platform shifts."

Microsoft currently employs around 220,000 worldwide, 6,000 of whom are based in the UK.

The news comes a week before Microsoft's January 24 financial performance investor update.

Nadella said in October 2022 that the company remained, “focused on helping [its] customers do more with less, while investing in secular growth areas and managing [its] cost structure in a disciplined way”.

To anybody reading between the lines, it was clear that Redmond had future cutbacks and layoffs in mind, though any details of these potential happenings had not yet been discussed in any detail.

Elsewhere in the company, some workers who are able to remain at the company are set to get an  unlimited holiday allowance, however for now at least, it’s limited to salaried, US workers only.

More broadly, Microsoft isn’t the only company facing the impacts of a tough economic climate. Already this year, Amazon has announced plans to lay off 18,000 of its staff, while Salesforce has announced a 10% reduction in headcount, with potentially more to follow.

TOPICS
Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

Read more
Microsoft
Microsoft reveals another round of job cuts
salesforce logo on blue background
Salesforce is slashing 1,000 jobs, but says workers will be able to reapply
Google CEO Sundar Pichai
Google CEO reveals major job cuts as part of "efficiency" move
Meta social media icons are being displayed on a smartphone among Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Threads, and other products, with the Meta icon visible in the background.
Meta is cutting 5% of its workforce as Zuckerberg looks to "raise the bar"
office workers in pods
IT unemployment hits new high as AI threat continues
Google logo at Made by Google
Not even Google is safe from job cuts - cloud, HR roles set to go
Latest in Pro
Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman AI Tour London 2025
Microsoft - UK can help drive the global AI future, but only with the proper buy-in
AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV during our review
I reviewed the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV and it's a staggeringly pro-grade monitor for the price
An AI face in profile against a digital background.
Navigating transparency, bias, and the human imperative in the age of democratized AI
CorelDraw Go homepage showing design examples
Adobe arch-rival unveils online graphic design tool for beginners - and yes, it has a subscription
Microsoft
Microsoft hits back against UK competition lawsuits, slams AWS and Google once again
A laptop with a red screen with a white skull on it with the message: "RANSOMWARE. All your files are encrypted."
Major ransomware attack sees Tata Technologies hit - 1.4TB dataset with over 730,000 files allegedly stolen
Latest in News
Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman AI Tour London 2025
Microsoft - UK can help drive the global AI future, but only with the proper buy-in
Asus Prime OC RTX 5070 graphics card with three fans, shown at an angle
Asus reveals Nvidia RTX 5070 launch pricing, and while one model is at MSRP – thankfully – the others make me want to give up my search for a next-gen GPU
Philips Hue lights being dimmed
Got Philips Hue lights? A free app update delivers these 3 improvements
iPad Air M3
The new iPad Air M3 is good value – but I’d still buy this iPad Pro model instead
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Samsung shows off a creaseless folding phone display – and it improves on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 design in 3 key ways
A piece of paper with the words 'an HBO Original film' on it next to a pile of snow
Jesse Armstrong’s next HBO Original sounds like another Succession-style satire starring Steve Carrell and Jason Schwartzman