Ammon News - Microsoft is cutting roughly 6,000 jobs—nearly 3% of its global workforce—in its biggest round of layoffs in over two years, as the tech giant doubles down on artificial intelligence and streamlines management.

The move follows a smaller round of performance-based layoffs in January and marks a shift from the aggressive hiring of the pandemic years. Most affected are workers in the U.S., which accounts for more than half of Microsoft’s 228,000-strong workforce.

The cuts, concentrated heavily in Washington, come despite strong recent earnings, signaling a strategic reshuffle rather than financial distress. As many as 1,985 employees have been laid off from Microsoft’s Redmond headquarters alone.

Of those, about 1,500 worked on-site, while 475 were remote, according to a notice filed with Washington state authorities. Their official last day of employment is scheduled for July.

Layoffs across levels, teams, & geographies
The tech giant said the layoffs will span all levels, teams, and geographies, but will primarily target managerial roles, affecting all areas of the business, including LinkedIn and Xbox.