Microsoft cuts 1,985 WA workers

Microsoft is laying off thousands of employees, almost a third of whom are based in Washington, the company confirmed Tuesday.

The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant didn’t disclose how many employees in total it plans to lay off, but a spokesperson said up to 3% of Microsoft’s workforce could be affected. Microsoft has 228,000 employees worldwide, meaning more than 6,800 people could be laid off.

In Washington, 1,985 employees were laid off Tuesday, according to an Employment Security Department filing.

“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Tuesday’s layoffs will be the largest wave since 2023, when Microsoft announced it was cutting 10,000 employees. More than 3,000 Seattle-area Microsoft employees were laid off in 2023.

Layoffs have continued since then, but in small drips rather than huge waves. The company has rarely confirmed numbers or disclosed which teams were most affected. In January, Microsoft acknowledged a round of performance-based layoffs.

Tuesday’s layoffs were not performance-based, the spokesperson said. They said market conditions are a factor as well as a desire to flatten management layers.