Microsoft has confirmed it will cut thousands of jobs from its global workforce, with a plan to reduce the layers of management at the tech giant.

But the multinational said planned reductions across the company would amount to less than 3 per cent of the total workforce when staff at Microsoft-owned LinkedIn were factored in.

It is not yet known how the cuts will affect the Irish business. Microsoft currently employs around 6,000 people in Ireland including LinkedIn. If applied uniformly, that would mean a reduction of around 180 jobs here. However, the cuts are likely to be dictated by business needs, so the eventual figure could be less.

“We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a spokesperson for Microsoft said.

The news of the job cuts was initially reported by CNBC in the US.

Microsoft has trimmed jobs several times since 2023, when it cut 10,000 jobs globally as part of a wave of job losses hit the wider tech community. The prospect of more cuts had been reported last month.

However, the company has also continued to grow its business. Microsoft has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence, building new features into its software and partnering with OpenAI to develop the technology.

Microsoft is also continuing to recruit in Ireland, with a number of open roles on its website based in the Dublin office.

– Additional reporting: Bloomberg