Microsoft Layoffs in 2024 Didn't Stop at the 'Official' Headcount of ~2,000, More Said to Come

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Feb 17, 2024

Microsoft started this year as industry (tech) leader at layoffs, as in, no other company had laid off as much staff as Microsoft did. But there's more happening and maybe more to come "soon":

THE mainstream news sites say that Microsoft fired back at the FTC, insisting it can fire as many people as it wants, contrary to assurances made to the FTC only months ago amid regulatory hurdles.

A good sign? No.

6 hours ago, fueled by reports about Blizzard (probably laid off staff reaching out to national media), Rahman Shaukat said they're expected more layoffs and there are several points as to why, including these paragraphs:

A recent report from the Irish Examiner reveals that Blizzard Entertainment is gearing up for layoffs affecting 136 employees at its Cork, Ireland office. With a presence in Ireland for over a decade, Blizzard currently employs approximately 200 individuals at this location. Michéal Martin addressed the issue in the Dáil, highlighting the considerable impact on affected employees and their families. Another individual named Mick Barry, frmo the People Before Profit TD, criticized Blizzard for its refusal to engage with the trade union chosen by the workers, arguing that companies shouldn't be allowed to implement such significant job cuts without consulting the representatives elected by their loyal employees.

It's noteworthy that Blizzard Entertainment has yet to provide an official response. Additionally, Microsoft's recent layoffs have garnered attention, particularly after the FTC's submission to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on February 7. The FTC argued that Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard could potentially be reversed due to Microsoft's prior assurances that significant job cuts wouldn't be necessary post-acquisition. However, Microsoft refuted this claim the following day, asserting that Activision had already planned substantial workforce reductions prior to the acquisition.

As a reminder, Microsoft's debt is out of control and growing fast. Two thirds of some staff/offices just got laid off by Microsoft and more Microsoft layoffs are reported which seem unrelated to January's wave. "Blizzard has yet to comment on reports of the layoffs," this report says. So there's probably more to come and only then then we can expect an official word/statement. It has meanwhile been noted that not only Irish staff is affected. South Koreans are also impacted.

As usual, when it comes to Microsoft, one cannot rely on their "official" layoff numbers; they try to belittle or downplay the full extent of the damage. █