Microsoft is cutting hundreds of jobs in its Azure cloud unit, according to a report by Business Insider on Monday. This move adds to the wave of layoffs seen across the technology and media industries this year.
The layoffs will affect teams including Azure for Operators and Mission Engineering. The report indicates that up to 1,500 jobs could be cut from the Azure for Operators team, citing sources familiar with the situation.
Organizational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business. We will continue to prioritize and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners,” a Microsoft spokesperson told Reuters.
These cuts follow Microsoft’s earlier reduction of 1,900 jobs at Activision Blizzard and Xbox in January. Other tech firms, such as Amazon.com and Salesforce, have also laid off several hundred employees in 2024.
Microsoft‘s Azure cloud unit is experiencing significant growth due to the company’s substantial investment in AI and its strategic partnership with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, giving it access to advanced technologies.
Azure for Operators and Mission Engineering are part of the Strategic Missions and Technologies organization, formed in 2021 and focused on quantum computing and space, as reported by Business Insider.
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