Microsoft handed out another 2,100 pink slips to employees on Thursday, as part of a previously announced staff reduction plan to cut 18,000 positions by the end of the year. The first wave of layoffs began in July with about 13,000 employees being let go, mainly Nokia’s devices and services employees. That leaves about 2,900 more job cuts by June 2015, but it’s not certain what positions will be eliminated or how the staff reductions will be relayed to those employees. The staff reduction plan of about 14 percent of the workforce will be the largest in Microsoft’s history once completed.
“The reductions happening today are spread across many different business units, and many different countries. We will continue to go through this process in the most thoughtful manner possible, with the deepest respect for affected individuals and recognition of their service to the company,” a spokeswoman for Microsoft said via email to PC World. All laid off employees will receive severance packages.
A number of employees laid off on Thursday expressed their disbelief on Twitter.
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With 1 quick swoop, so ends the Microsoft Twin Cities Development Center and my career at Microsoft.
— jaredbro (@jaredbro) September 18, 2014
The entire Microsoft St. Paul office was laid off today. Farewell Microsoft. — Justin Chase (@justinmchase) September 18, 2014
And I’m looking for a new job! http://t.co/IcfZFmghJt
— Noah Kravitz (@noahkravitz) September 18, 2014
Microsoft is using the staff reduction plan to bounce back after purchasing Nokia for $7.2 billion in 2013. The company plans to transition from selling software to helping customers be more productive through a series of cloud-hosted services. There’s also speculation that Microsoft may cut the Nokia business completely.