Microsoft Announces Major Downsizing - 60,000 Affected

[lightning f57]

Key divisions including AI experiences, finance and human resources will be impacted but the Reuters news agency

This is a nightmare unfolding, these companies are going all in hard with AI. There is going to be a correction and its going to be messy.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

Think I will pay close attention on Weds. to see what was announced during the earnings report.

 

[roger]

Take the 'voluntary' or you'd get the 'Involuntary'.
In some jobs there are almost-guaranteed 'job security' such as in some State / Fed jobs or 'the Union' job. Ten years ago, I held a State job with guarantees. They offered a Voluntary plan: One year pay and health insurance to me and my wife. I took that. I was extremely conflicted for the 5-6 weeks leading to the final day of the decision. During those days, a senior staff member approached me and wondered if I would take an enhanced role in future. I said No. Some fellow workers also begged me to stay and I still said No. I was too burnt out by then and frustrated. I had the time till the last minute of the work day to send an email to cancel my decision to leave. And I agonized and agonized till that minute but stayed with my decision to leave the job.

As I look back at that pivotal time of my life, I often wonder: Did I make the right decision by leaving? I had decent pay and decent 'Benefits' and was well respected as a software engineer. But it was also employee abuse which burned me to a crisp. I am a workaholic anyway! If I had stayed then almost certainly the salary would increase. But by leaving that State job, I was thrown into the Dog Eat Dog World of private companies where my Overachieving by finishing projects even before the deadlines have resulted in multiple layoffs.

Amazing Sir. We only know the path we take not the path we forgo. I face these thoughts on a daily basis and think having no option is such a better option than to agonize the choice.

 

[roger]

Few days back even Amex decided to cut 5% labor force. Again AI driven.


https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/10/23/american-express-job-cuts.html

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

The announcement doesn't appear to have made much of an impact on the after-hours trading:

 

[Meengla]

We only know the path we take not the path we forgo. I face these thoughts on a daily basis and think having no option is such a better option than to agonize the choice.

Beautiful wise words!
Speaking of such situations, two of my best friends with the so-called 'guaranteed' State jobs are in a dilemma: One told me that he, at age 66, has been offered to take a '9 month paid salary' if he retires early 2027. He is not sure about the verbiage and it does sound strange for the State to offer him something like that when he is less than a year from getting the Full Retirement Age (67) benefits. And then there is another friend--a full bird PhD college professor but his full salary is dependent upon getting the 'funding' otherwise he will lose a chunk of his salary--and he has two college-going kids to think of; his gravy train ending in 7-8 months.

 

[retaxis]

Yep I was saying AI was going to take those IT and back office roles first and India and phillipines will be the biggest victims.

English is not a skill and AI is proving that now

Wipro, infosys etc all cutting jobs as well in India

So instead of hiring people now they are firing people

what do you think Indian graduates going to do now without jobs? the west has closed doors on immigration as well. an industry that was hiring hundreds of thousands now firing them?

Indian service sector is done and they should have invested into manufacturing sector. This is what happens when you try to skip the hard but critical steps to success.

TCS, Infosys, Wipro quietly cut 50,000 jobs. Is your skill obsolete? | Pratham K posted on the topic | LinkedIn

The “silent layoffs” everyone’s whispering about? Let me tell you what’s really happening. TCS, Infosys, Wipro - they’re cutting 50,000 jobs without announcements. They’re calling it “performance management” or “skill mismatch.” But here’s what I’m seeing at The Algorithm that nobody wants to...

www.linkedin.com

 

[RescueRanger]

Coming to an airline near you soon(TM)

Meet Claude your friendly AI Auto Pilot...

 

[Meengla]

Yep I was saying AI was going to take those IT and back office roles first and India and phillipines will be the biggest victims.
English is not a skill and AI is proving that now

Hah, back in early 2000s, I was working on programming some software (using Windows Dynamic Linked Library: DLLs) to do Text to Speech. The results were not that good. How different the world is now !

Wipro, infosys etc all cutting jobs as well in India
So instead of hiring people now they are firing people
what do you think Indian graduates going to do now without jobs? the west has closed doors on immigration as well. an industry that was hiring hundreds of thousands now firing them?

It is not going to be good for the Indian software industry. Or for any other country's, for that matter, but India has built a prestige around its software industry with great results for India.

Indian service sector is done and they should have invested into manufacturing sector. This is what happens when you try to skip the hard but critical steps to success.

The debate about 'manufacturing' kind of reminds of the debate in America too: Leave the office jobs and do the 'handy' work: Plumbers, carpenters, roofers, farmers, auto mechanics... but those fields also can over saturated.
Maybe the only 'secure' handy jobs are the brute, literally back-breaking construction and paving the road jobs.

 

[retaxis]

Hah, back in early 2000s, I was working on programming some software (using Windows Dynamic Linked Library: DLLs) to do Text to Speech. The results were not that good. How different the world is now !


It is not going to be good for the Indian software industry. Or for any other country's, for that matter, but India has built a prestige around its software industry with great results for India.


The debate about 'manufacturing' kind of reminds of the debate in America too: Leave the office jobs and do the 'handy' work: Plumbers, carpenters, roofers, farmers, auto mechanics... but those fields also can over saturated.
Maybe the only 'secure' handy jobs are the brute, literally back-breaking construction and paving the road jobs.

Yeah I work in the health sector doing allied health stuff so we are not yet being replaced but us occupational therapist and physiotherapist might get replaced by AI someday too

India put all its money in the service sector pot and did not have a backup plan

The whole Make in India was a massive disaster and manufacturing actually fell lol.

Not all IT jobs will be at risk a lot of skilled people will still have jobs but the lower end of the spectrum where work is outsourced will be more vulnerable

 

[Meengla]

Yeah I work in the health sector doing allied health stuff so we are not yet being replaced but us occupational therapist and physiotherapist might get replaced by AI someday too

My wife, for most of her professional career, until just recently, was a Phlebotomist. She claims some robots would one day be able to draw blood from people. I questioned her then but not sure anymore. Increasingly, it sounds like one or two actual human beings to 'oversee' what some automation process would do to ensure 'quality' and that's it: The robot doesn't sleep or get tired.

India put all its money in the service sector pot and did not have a backup plan
The whole Make in India was a massive disaster and manufacturing actually fell lol.
Not all IT jobs will be at risk a lot of skilled people will still have jobs but the lower end of the spectrum where work is outsourced will be more vulnerable

India's immense prestige is built around India's IT prowess since the 90s. And that has probably added to other industries to India's benefits. Once the IT collapses, then who knows the impact on India.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

Coming to an airline near you soon(TM)
View attachment 221004
Meet Claude your friendly AI Auto Pilot...

You are aware we're already there, right?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Before Microsoft became Microslop, it held a very special place in my heart. I am from that generation that saw people like Bill Gates and Tim Berners-Lee as legends.

No, it's going all-in on AI

 

[retaxis]

My wife, for most of her professional career, until just recently, was a Phlebotomist. She claims some robots would one day be able to draw blood from people. I questioned her then but not sure anymore. Increasingly, it sounds like one or two actual human beings to 'oversee' what some automation process would do to ensure 'quality' and that's it: The robot doesn't sleep or get tired.



India's immense prestige is built around India's IT prowess since the 90s. And that has probably added to other industries to India's benefits. Once the IT collapses, then who knows the impact on India.

Most of my job consists of doing home modifications for elderly and people with disabilities. So the approach is based on the individuals disabilities and then providing equipment, building ramps, removing bath tubs etc to improve independence. I don't think some robot can do what I do now but someday sure

 

[PakFactor]

You are aware we're already there, right?

That's true. There was other news from Europe that came through my trading platform today as I was buying up EWZ (Brazil ETF) after the post-election drop.

The Netherlands is now planning to lay off 20% of government employees over the next decade as it invests more in technology and AI. Can we say more governments will follow through, including the U.S.?

Netherlands to Cut 20% of Government Jobs in 10-Year Efficiency Drive

Netherlands plans to reduce government jobs by 20% over the next decade, aiming for €3.5 billion in savings. AI use to support efficiency goals.

www.globalbankingandfinance.com

@RescueRanger