Big tech layoffs: Microsoft, Amazon, Google are on layoff spree, over 61000 jobs slashed in 2025

India Today

16-05-2025

The tech industry is once again facing a wave of widespread layoffs. Big tech players including Microsoft, Amazon and Google are slashing thousands of jobs again amid unstable economic conditions. As revenues take a hit, and artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes offices and work, companies are making deep cuts to improve efficiency and redirect their resources.According to layoff tracker Layoffs.fyi, so far in 2025, over 61,220 tech workers have been laid off across 130 companies. Here is a brief look at all the recent layoffs announced by big tech companies like Microsoft and Google. advertisementMicrosoft announces mass layoffsPerhaps the most notable of layoffs in this round have been announced by Microsoft. On 13 May, the Redmond-based giant announced its decision to cut 6,000 jobs — its largest layoff since 2023 — impacting about 3 per cent of its global workforce of 228,000. These layoffs have affected employees across all levels and locations, including nearly 2,000 in Washington state alone.
Microsoft says that it is restructuring teams to stay competitive in what it describes as a 'dynamic marketplace.' The company has clarified that the latest job cuts are not performance-related but are instead part of efforts to reduce layers of management and increase the ratio of engineers to non-technical staff.Notably, earlier in January, Microsoft had also carried out smaller performance-based layoffs and trimmed roles in the gaming and sales divisions.Google announces more job cutsadvertisementGoogle has been trimming large and small numbers of employees following the mass layoffs in 2023. Recently, the company joined the layoff trend again, cutting approximately 200 jobs from its global business unit in early May. This team handles sales and partnerships and is now undergoing restructuring to 'drive greater collaboration' and serve customers more effectively, Reuters noted in a report.The layoffs at Google follow a series of workforce reductions earlier this year, including hundreds of jobs in its Platforms & Devices unit (Android, Pixel, Chrome) in April, voluntary exits, and cuts in its cloud division in February. Notably, the company's parent, Alphabet, laid off 12,000 workers — 6 per cent of its global workforce — in January 2023.Amazon also slashing jobsNews of another round of layoffs came from Amazon as well this month, as the company laid off around 100 employees from its Devices and Services unit, which oversees products like Echo speakers, Alexa, Kindle, and Zoox self-driving cars. According to the company, these layoffs were needed to align better with its product roadmap and streamline operations.Amazon's latest layoffs follow earlier workforce reductions which happened earlier this year in 2025 and continue a broader effort to eliminate what the company called 'unnecessary layers' in its organisational structure.CrowdStrike announces job cutsAnother notable layoff announcement came from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which joined the trend last week. It confirmed in an email to its employees that it is laying off 5 per cent of its workforce to sharpen focus on profitability and long-term success. The company did not provide an exact number but emphasised the changes are part of a strategic workforce realignment.