Microsoft to cut up to 70 more jobs at Dublin operation

Software giant says latest redundancies are a local adjustment related to business needs

Staff at Microsoft Ireland are facing their third round of redundancies in a year, with up to 70 more jobs going. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA
Staff at Microsoft Ireland are facing their third round of redundancies in a year, with up to 70 more jobs going. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

Microsoft Ireland has announced further jobs cuts, with up to 70 roles understood to be on the line as the company reorganises its business.

The company informed staff of the proposed cuts, which will be implemented across the business, earlier on Monday. It is understood the final number may be lower than 70 if staff can be redeployed to other areas of the business.

The latest cuts at the global tech giant follow the 180 job losses at the Irish operation announced by the group across two rounds of cutbacks since January, when Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said the company would reduce its global workforce by 10,000, or 5 per cent.

The latest cuts are not linked to a new round of global cutbacks, and are instead part of what the company says is a local readjustment related to business needs.

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“Organisational and workforce adjustments are a necessary and regular part of managing our business,” a spokeswoman for Microsoft said. “We will continue to prioritise and invest in strategic growth areas for our future and in support of our customers and partners.”

Microsoft Ireland acts as a hub for the software group’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa across a number of business areas, including operations, sales, engineering and product development. Microsoft currently employs around 3,500 people directly at its Irish operations.

The company ramped up hiring globally in recent years, adding more than 40,000 jobs worldwide in the year to the end of June 2022. That was more than double the year before and a new record for the company, after the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled a historic boom in digital demand. However, the boom has faded, leaving companies moving to correct their costs.

The tech sector downturn has affected companies across the spectrum, with Intel, Google, Salesforce, Meta, Stripe and Intercom among the multinationals to announce cutbacks.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist