Microsoft is expected to layoff more employees this week, according to insiders at the company, but these are all part of the 18,000 that were announced back in July. The news is expected to be announced on the 18th of this week but the exact number of cuts is not known.
Back in July, Microsoft said that they would cut 18,000 employees, which will cost them 1.1 to 1.6 billion dollars when the cuts are completed. These new cuts are part of the initial announcement and is the second wave of announcements for the company.
It"s not all that surprising, given that when Microsoft bought the Nokia mobility arm, it gained 25,000 employees, making some redundancies inevitable, given the overlap of some roles. Indeed, those that joined the company from Nokia will bear the brunt of the layoffs - 12,500 of the jobs to be cut will be former Nokia employees. The cuts extend further into the core of Microsoft as well, with an additional 5,500 jobs to be terminated from other MS departments.
While Microsoft is staying quiet on the topic, as it is quite sensitive for those involved, the information comes from Mary Jo Foley who has proven to have consistent and accurate insider information. Obviously, this news will make quite a few stomachs in Redmond (and around the globe) turn as layoffs are never an easy thing to deal with.
While we wait to see if Microsoft makes any formal announcement this week about the layoffs, Thursday will prove to be an interesting day for employees at the company.
Source: Mary Jo Foley