Microsoft lays off 9,000 employees in latest round of layoffs
Microsoft is letting go of 9,000 employees in its latest round of layoffs, pushing this year's total job cuts past 15,000.
CEO Satya Nadella called the decision "among the most difficult we have to make" in a note to staff.
Even with a strong $25.8 billion quarterly net income, Microsoft says it's doubling down on artificial intelligence—meaning about 4% of its global workforce is being trimmed.
Gaming team takes big hit
The gaming team took a big hit—over 3,000 roles were cut after the Activision Blizzard acquisition, leading to The Initiative studio shutting down and games like Perfect Dark and Everwild getting canceled.
Microsoft says it's investing $80 billion in AI tech (which now writes up to 30% of code for some projects) and is offering severance pay, healthcare, and job placement help to those impacted by the layoffs.