Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday it would cut 10,000 jobs by the end of third quarter of fiscal 2023, the latest sign that layoffs were accelerating in the U.S. technology sector as companies brace for an economic downturn.
The layoffs will result in a charge of $1.2 billion in the second quarter of fiscal 2023, representing a negative impact of 12 cents on per share profit, Microsoft said.
The news of layoffs, reported by media publications on Tuesday, follows some reductions last year.
Microsoft said in July last year that a small number of roles had been eliminated, while news site Axios in October reported that the company had laid off under 1,000 employees across several divisions.
The Satya Nadella-led firm is also grappling with a slump in the personal computer market after a pandemic boom fizzled out, leaving little demand for its Windows and accompanying software.
Microsoft is under pressure to maintain growth rates at its cloud unit Azure, after several quarters of downturn in the personal computer market hurt Windows and devices sales.
The company had 221,000 full-time employees, including 122,000 in the United States and 99,000 internationally, as of June 30, according to filings.