Microsoft Layoffs 2024: 4% Workforce Cut

Microsoft is to cut around 9,000 jobs worldwide in the latest round of staff cuts as the US technology company looks to reduce costs.

It is understood the job losses will impact up to 4% of its total workforce and it’s thought the cuts will impact different teams and country operations as part of efforts to cut layers of management.

A spokesperson for Microsoft Ireland said the tech giant is continuing to “implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.”

However, the company declined to comment on what impact today’s announcement will have on Microsoft’s Irish operations, where it has some 6,000 workers.

Microsoft employs more than 4,000 people in Ireland across software development, engineering, data centres, finance, operations, and sales and marketing services.

In November of last year, it announced the creation of 550 engineering and research and development jobs in its Dublin office.

Microsoft also owns LinkedIn, which employs more than 2,000 people in Ireland, bringing Microsoft’s total Irish-based headcount to over 6,000 people.

Today’s move represents the third round of cuts this year.

The company already announced it was reducing the number of employees by around 6,000 roles in May and it shed 1,000 in January.

In early 2023, the company also cut 10,000 jobs, amid a move in the wider tech sector to scale back expansion during the pandemic.

Microsoft employed 228,000 full-time workers as of last June, the last time it reported its annual headcount.