Microsoft Lays Off 830 Employees in Washington Amid Global Workforce Reduction

Microsoft cuts 830 jobs in Washington state as part of a global layoff of 9,000 employees. Roles impacted include engineers, game designers, sales, and legal staff.

Microsoft Cuts 830 Jobs in Home State of Washington

As part of its broader global restructuring effort, Microsoft has laid off 830 employees in Washington, its home state. These job cuts are a portion of the 9,000 layoffs the tech giant announced this week, aimed at eliminating role redundancy and increasing efficiency through new technologies.

According to documents submitted to Washington state employment authorities, the affected positions include:

Nearly a dozen game design professionals

Three audio designers, two mechanical engineers, one optical engineer, and one lab technician

Five individual contributors and one manager in the Microsoft Research division

10 lawyers and six hardware engineers

16 customer success account managers, 28 sales strategy and enablement roles, and five sales compensation staff

17 cloud solution architects

Microsoft’s Strategy: Reduce Overlap, Embrace Tech Efficiency

A source familiar with the matter told CNBC that the layoffs are part of Microsoft’s effort to remove duplication, streamline operations, and redirect employee focus to high-impact work enabled by newer technologies.

While Microsoft has not issued an official comment regarding the job losses in Washington, CFO Amy Hood stated in the company’s April earnings call that there was a “focus on cost efficiencies” throughout the March quarter.

Gaming Division and Sales Teams See Major Reductions

The layoffs have hit Xbox and gaming departments particularly hard, with multiple employees in those divisions confirming their departures via social media. Despite an 8% increase in Xbox content and services revenue, this lagged behind Microsoft’s overall revenue growth of 13% in the same quarter.

Sales roles were also heavily impacted. The layoffs include:

16 customer success account managers

28 roles in sales strategy and enablement

One government affairs specialist based in Washington

Cloud Division Not Spared

Despite being Microsoft’s fastest-growing business, the Azure and cloud solutions division also saw 17 job eliminations in Washington. This suggests that even high-performing units are being restructured for greater operational alignment.

Leadership Remains Silent on Layoffs

As of now, CEO Satya Nadella has not publicly addressed the workforce reductions. The company also has not issued detailed comments regarding specific regional layoffs.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s recent layoffs highlight a strategic pivot aimed at sharpening focus, reducing operational overlap, and prioritizing areas that align with long-term technological goals — even if it comes at the cost of roles in some of its most successful divisions.