Microsoft to lay off hundreds at Azure cloud unit, Business Insider reports
- The Azure for Operators lay-offs involve as many as 1,500 job cuts, it added, citing people familiar with the situation
- The cuts come after the company shed 1,900 jobs at Activision Blizzard and Xbox in January this year
Microsoft is cutting hundreds of jobs at its Azure cloud unit, Business Insider reported on Monday, adding to a flurry of lay-offs seen in the technology and media industries this year.
The lay-offs will impact teams including Azure for Operators and Mission Engineering, according to the report. The Azure for Operators lay-offs involve as many as 1,500 job cuts, it added, citing people familiar with the situation.
“Organisational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business. We will continue to prioritise and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters.
The cuts come after the company shed 1,900 jobs at Activision Blizzard and Xbox in January this year. Tech firms including Amazon.com and Salesforce also laid off several hundred employees in 2024.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud is witnessing sharp growth due to the company’s heavy investment in AI and its access to the coveted technologies of ChatGPT maker OpenAI through their strategic partnership.