MICROSOFT has announced plans to cut approximately 9,000 jobs, impacting less than 4% of its global workforce.
The layoffs will span multiple teams, regions, and job levels, according to a report by CNBC.
The decision marks yet another round of job reductions for the tech giant, which has already carried out several workforce cuts in 2024.
In January, Microsoft trimmed under 1% of its staff for performance-related reasons, followed by over 6,000 layoffs in May and an additional 300 in June. As of June 2024, the company employed around 228,000 people.
This latest move comes at the start of Microsoft’s 2026 fiscal year—a period typically associated with internal restructuring and strategic shifts.
“We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a spokesperson told CNBC.
The CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, noted in a memo that the company is aiming to streamline operations by eliminating excess management layers and focusing on strategic growth areas.
Despite the layoffs, Microsoft remains highly profitable, reporting nearly $26 billion in net income on $70 billion in revenue for the March 2025 quarter.
The company’s largest layoff to date occurred in 2014, when 18,000 positions were cut following its acquisition of Nokia’s devices division.