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Microsoft has announced a fresh wave of job cuts, citing the adoption of new technologies and a need to streamline management structures as it adapts to a rapidly evolving tech landscape.
While the tech giant did not reveal the total number of redundancies, reports in the US suggest around 6,000 roles will be affected globally — approximately three percent of its workforce. Of those, nearly 2,000 positions are being cut in Washington state, according to a filing with the state’s labour agency.
In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said the company was undertaking “organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace”. The decision comes as part of wider efforts to simplify internal operations and reduce unnecessary layers of management.
Microsoft, which has taken a leading role in integrating artificial intelligence across its services, said it was focusing on empowering staff to “spend more time focusing on meaningful work by leveraging new technologies and capabilities”.
The company has seen strong performance recently, with robust earnings reported for the first quarter of 2024, largely driven by growth in its cloud computing and AI divisions.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It was among the first major tech firms to fully embrace AI, partnering early with OpenAI following the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 — a move that has reshaped the competitive landscape across the industry.
