Microsoft is cutting jobs but will continue to hire in “key growth areas,” a company spokesperson confirmed to CNET on Tuesday. The move comes as consumer demand for tablets and PCs cools, and as tech companies brace for a broader global economic downturn.
Though Microsoft did not confirm the number of jobs it cut, the layoffs affected nearly 1,000 of its approximately 221,000 employees across the organization, including in the Xbox gaming division, according to multiple reports.
Citing a need for structural adjustments after an evaluation of its business priorities, Microsoft is the latest tech firm to cut staff in the face of slowing growth. Intel, Meta and Google also recently resorted to staff reductions, reports indicated.
“Like all companies, we evaluate our business priorities on a regular basis, and make structural adjustments accordingly,” a Microsoft spokesperson told CNET in an emailed statement. “We will continue to invest in our business and hire in key growth areas in the year ahead.”
