Microsoft Announces Second Major Layoff This Year, Cutting Nearly 9,000 Jobs
Microsoft has begun its second mass layoff in recent months, affecting thousands of employees worldwide. The tech giant sent out layoff notices on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, with the cuts impacting multiple teams globally, including its sales division and Xbox video game business.
The company declined to provide an exact number of layoffs but stated that the reduction would be less than 4% of its workforce from the previous year. As of June last year, Microsoft employed 228,000 full-time workers. Based on this figure, the layoffs would amount to approximately 9,000 employees.
This latest move follows a previous layoff in May when Microsoft cut about 6,000 jobs, nearly 3% of its global workforce. The company had also laid off 300 workers from its Redmond, Washington headquarters in June, in addition to nearly 2,000 job losses in the Puget Sound region in May.
“We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” Microsoft said in a statement. The decision reflects the company’s ongoing restructuring efforts amid significant investments in artificial intelligence technology.
The latest layoffs mark Microsoft’s third round of job cuts this year, underscoring the challenging environment in the tech industry. The company’s actions are part of a broader trend of tech giants reassessing their workforce in response to changing market conditions and technological advancements.
