Microsoft began laying off about 6,000 workers Tuesday, nearly 3% of its entire workforce and its largest job cuts in more than two years as the company spends heavily on artificial intelligence.

Layoff fears may be particularly prevalent in the tech space. Tech firms ramped up hiring during the pandemic when demand for their products surged. Forced remote work changed the landscape and paved the way to more jobs.

Microsoft is reportedly laying off about 3% of its entire workforce. Multiple outlets, including CNBC and The Verge, reported the news May 13. USA TODAY has reached out to Microsoft for comment.

Microsoft is cutting roughly 3% of its global workforce as the company shifts more resources toward the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence, the company confirmed on Tuesday.

Nearly 50% of the employee layoffs at Microsoft’s Washington office affected staff in software engineering roles, as the company has started to rely more on

More layoffs are happening at Microsoft. The company confirms it's in the process of cutting nearly 3% of its workforce, resulting in around 6,000 fewer jobs across the business.

Microsoft says it will lay off thousands of workers. Triangle Forward Our next panel discussion in the Triangle Forward series will focus on technology, specifically the applications and opportunities of AI in multiple sectors,

In comparison, 2024 saw around 1,50,000 job cuts across 549 companies. In May 2025, big tech companies Amazon, Google, and Meta announced reductions in certain divisions while Microsoft announced its biggest round of job cuts since 2023, with over 6,000 employees being laid off across its businesses.