In an earlier 2023 round of layoffs, the tech giant similarly did not confirm if Singapore staff were affected
[SINGAPORE] The Singapore office of Microsoft did not confirm nor deny whether staff in the Republic would be affected by terminations across the global tech company, in response to queries by The Business Times on Wednesday (May 14).
On Tuesday night, Microsoft said it would cut 6,000 workers – under 3 per cent of its workforce – across geographies and employee levels from Jul 13.
About 2,000 will be from its Washington headquarters, based on a state filing. As at June 2024, Microsoft employed 228,000 people.
Asked if jobs will be cut in Singapore, Microsoft Singapore only provided the earlier statement by a global company spokesperson. “We continue to implement organisational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.”
Microsoft Singapore did not answer questions about how many jobs would be cut in Singapore, and in what roles; nor whether such cuts might come in later rounds.
Referring to the company as a whole, the response noted that Microsoft regularly adjusts its workforce to meet strategic business demands “even in the best of times”.
The company said it is “reducing layers with fewer managers” for agility. It will also streamline processes, procedures and roles to minimise redundancy and therefore enhance efficiency.
Its last major round of layoffs was in 2023, with 10,000 cuts. It was also unclear then whether Singapore staff were affected.
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