Published 21 hours ago • loading... • Updated 3 hours ago
Microsoft Set for New Round of Job Cuts Next Week, Spanning Xbox, Sales and Consulting
Microsoft is expected to cut thousands of jobs, with layoffs below 2.5% of its 220,000-person workforce as it reins in costs.
Microsoft plans to announce job cuts next week affecting thousands of employees across sales, consulting, and the Xbox division, impacting less than 2.5% of its 220,000-person global workforce.
Layoffs follow the June 30 fiscal year close, when Microsoft typically restructures operations. The company is reining in costs while spending more than $100 billion on AI and cloud infrastructure this fiscal year.
This round is smaller than last year's cuts, partly because about one-third of eligible U.S. employees accepted voluntary retirement buyouts. Microsoft eliminated more than 15,000 roles during two 2025 layoff rounds.
Xbox layoffs have been expected since CEO Asha Sharma sent a memo calling for a "reset" of the business. The gaming unit faces a deepening components crisis and recently raised console prices worldwide.
U.S. tech companies announced 123,653 cuts so far in 2026, a 66% increase from last year, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. AI-related downsizing reached 87,714 cuts for the year.