A wave of job cuts and buyouts is sweeping the tech sector, with Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon, Uber, Netflix, Google and Canva among companies reducing headcount this year. According to the TrueUp tech layoffs tracker, more than 200,000 workers have been let go in 2026, a faster pace than last year, and the cuts are hitting profitable firms as well as struggling ones. Goldman Sachs has estimated that companies have collectively spent $3.2 trillion on AI, much of it not reflected on balance sheets.
cnet.com
· 2026-11-09
Microsoft reported net profit of more than $36.6bn and revenue of $92.3bn for the quarter ending September, a 19% year-on-year increase driven largely by 30% growth in its cloud business. The results came just days after the company said it would offer buyouts to around 60,000 employees as part of cost-cutting tied to heavy AI investment. Shares rose nearly 2.9% in after-hours trading following the announcement.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-10-29
Microsoft has extended a voluntary exit offer to about 60,000 employees across the US, Canada, India and the UK, covering workers at experience level 70 or below. Executive vice president Amy Coleman announced the program on the company blog, describing it as building on an earlier voluntary retirement offer from April that was open to about 7% of US staff and saw over 30% uptake. Eligible employees are being notified by email with program details.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-27
Vice President JD Vance announced that Microsoft, Adobe, and outsourcing firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini have been barred from the PERM labor certification program amid allegations of fraud and abuse. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said Microsoft and Adobe's PERM privileges were suspended due to multiple active federal investigations, meaning no new or pending applications will be processed. Vance claimed Microsoft laid off 6,000 workers while receiving 6,300 H-1B approvals and nearly 3,000 green cards, with roughly 1,000 of its 3,682 PERM filings overlapping with laid-off positions.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-08
In an interview with The New York Times, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated plainly that 'Xbox is not for sale,' adding that Microsoft will pursue whatever partnerships or operating model changes are needed for long-term success. The comments follow a summer of heavy layoffs across Xbox, including the closure of Ninja Theory, the divestment of Double Fine, and the shutdown of Halo Studios with the franchise handed to Call of Duty's team.
games.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-30
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told the New York Times that Microsoft is not selling Xbox, pushing back on earlier reports that CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood had weighed spinning off the gaming unit. Instead, Sharma says leadership backs her restructuring plan, which includes cutting up to 3,200 jobs by mid-2027, moving Halo and other studios under Activision, and streamlining Xbox Game Studios.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
Microsoft laid off 268 employees across its gaming division this week and restructured major studios and franchises, including cutting most of Halo Studios' staff while keeping a small team to support existing titles like Halo Infinite. According to sources cited by the reporter, the next mainline Halo game was years from release, prompting Microsoft to shut it down rather than continue development.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
Microsoft has restructured its Xbox game studios, placing Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries), Rare and Age of Empires developer World's Edge under Activision's control. The move accompanies 268 additional layoffs, with the remaining Halo team reduced to a small community-support unit while Activision assembles a new team to lead the franchise's future.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-22
Microsoft announced further restructuring at Xbox as part of cuts affecting roughly 3,200 employees, consolidating several studios and shifting development of Halo to a different team. Obsidian is moving from Xbox Game Studios to Bethesda to focus on Fallout, Microsoft's casual games like Minesweeper and Solitaire are shifting to King, and Playground and Turn 10 are merging into a single studio.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-22
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