"IBM is Constantly Laying Off People" (Not Just in Red Hat)
Just like this year's mass layoffs at Confluent and at HashiCorp, which IBM acquired, there's no coverage in the media
So there are Red Hat mass layoffs (nobody in the media covers this). "This morning Red Hat fired all the engineers in China," we got told. We'll hopefully be in a position to post more evidence and details very soon.
Meanwhile in this discussion people explain that IBM's "headcount" tells a misleading story and they explain it like this:
Even if the headcount remains stable, you need to pay attention to offshoring and SW acquisitions as they impact legacy employees in NA and Northern EuropeExample 1 = If IBM buys a SW company with 2k worth of employees and has a layoff or offshore of 2k of legacy employees what happened? Net headcount is flat but 2 k of legacy employees were shown the door (SW employees come on board and legacy employees are shown the door)
Example 2 = If IBM offshores 2k worth of employees but hires 2k worth of Indian employees what happened? Net headcount is flat but 2k of legacy employees were shown the door and IBM saved money on salaries
NOW let’s look at IBM history.
In 2024 worldwide headcount went down 12k even with SW acquisitions and offshoring taking place
In 2025 worldwide headcount went down 6k even with SW acquisitions and offshoring taking place
In 2026 IBM has already pre-announced 7k worth of layoffs are going to happen (eg expect 2026 restructuring expenses to be the same as 2025)
Given the above “fact” it says legacy employees are going to get hit yet again. So where do legacy employees live? YEP NA and Northern Europe
Net net IBM headcount will decrease 6-8k in 2026 with IBM NA and Northern Europe legacy employees absorbing the cuts
[...]
Precisely - total worldwide headcount is irrelevant and actually misleading.
Since 2022 IBM has laid off nearly 30k people from the US which had a headcount of around 60k then. But because of constant acquisitions, they keep replenishing the population before laying off older employees in new rounds.
It is hard to know what the current headcount is because of this but while it is true they have laid off 50% of the US workforce since 2022 due to constant purchases, the headcount still remains over 30k or even higher.
But never ever use their worldwide population in any calculation unless you want to be lied to. It literally means the opposite of what they pretend.
We wrote many articles in the past rebutting this "headcount" narrative, both at IBM and at Microsoft. Another thread speaks of the PIPs, which are 'non-layoff' layoffs: (walk the plank)
I believe all states unemployment agencies know that IBM is constantly laying off people that is should be no problem collecting unless you quit. Mean while polish up your resume and get it out there.
A later response:
I will never work for IBM again. My first real adult career job back in 2015. I thought that they had jobs available. Nope its all project based. You compete with others for a project. I was trying to get on a project, remote right out of the Lansing, MI center. My manager, Pilton, told me not worry about that (applying) as I was on a PIP and had to get on any project at this time. He had 2 other interviews in the pipeline. I did both interviews and they seemed good to me. When it was my last day, never did find out if i got on those teams. My manager, first thing when i went to the office, he handed me some unemployment forms, and said " Oh I wish you would have gotten on that one remote project.". I said "What, the one you told me not to fully apply too". Made him feel like sh-t after on purpose. Walked out the door with my head high, and onto other adventures.
IBM as a company is collapsing, yet the media is paid to write puff pieces for and about IBM, mostly fluff about "AI". █
