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[News] 2025 Tech Layoffs: Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Others Cut Tens of Thousands of Roles


2025-12-31 Emerging Technologies editor

As 2025 draws to a close, major technology companies have continued to reshape their workforces amid shifting market conditions, cost pressures, and accelerating investments in AI. Below is a roundup of notable layoffs announced throughout the year, highlighting how some of the industry’s biggest players adjusted staffing as part of broader restructuring efforts.

1. Google Reportedly Trims Workforce Across Design, Platforms, and Devices

In October, Google cut more than 100 positions tied to design-related functions, CNBC notes. The layoffs followed earlier workforce reductions this year, including cuts affecting hundreds of employees in the platforms and devices unit in April, TheStreet.com notes, as well as a February round that impacted staff in Google’s cloud and human resources teams.

2. Meta Reportedly Cuts 5% of Workforce in 2025, Eyes Deep Metaverse Cuts in 2026

In January 2025, Meta unveiled plans to cut roughly 5% of its workforce—around 3,600 employees, Reuters notes. Looking ahead to 2026, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reported to significantly scale back resources devoted to the metaverse, with Bloomberg noting that potential budget cuts could reach as much as 30%.

3. Amazon Reportedly Axes 14,000 Corporate Roles, Extends Cuts to Europe

In October, Amazon confirmed plans to lay off about 14,000 corporate employees as part of sweeping organizational changes, CRN reports. The company followed up in December by announcing the elimination of 370 jobs at its European headquarters in Luxembourg, marking its largest-ever workforce reduction at the site, as noted by The Times of India. The Luxembourg cuts form part of a broader cost-reduction drive under CEO Andy Jassy, aimed at making Amazon leaner and less bureaucratic while continuing to ramp investment in generative AI.

4. Microsoft Reportedly Cuts ~15,000 Jobs as AI Reshapes Strategy

Microsoft has eliminated around 15,000 jobs so far in 2025, with the most recent round in July cutting roughly 9,000 roles, CNBC notes. CEO Satya Nadella said in a memo to employees that the company needs to “reimagine” its mission for a new era, while underscoring the growing importance of AI to its future strategy.

5. Intel Reportedly Cuts More Than 3,000 Jobs in 2025

According to Oregon Live, Intel laid off another 669 employees in Oregon in November, bringing its total local job cuts to more than 3,000 for the year—a move aligned with the company’s broader restructuring. As noted by CRN, Intel said in its second fiscal quarter 2025 earnings report that it is in the process of reducing about 15% of its workforce under a previously announced plan to create a faster-moving, flatter, and more agile organization.

6. Applied Materials Reportedly Cuts About 4% of Global Workforce

Chip equipment maker Applied Materials is cutting about 4% of its global workforce, with the company beginning to notify affected employees worldwide “across all levels and groups,” according to an October filing cited by CNBC. The report notes that Applied Materials had roughly 36,100 full-time employees as of an August 2025 disclosure, implying the reduction would affect about 1,400 workers.

7. HP Reportedly Cuts Jobs as Tariffs and PC Competition Weigh

In late February, HP said it planned to cut up to 2,000 jobs and incur roughly $150 million in restructuring costs, CRN notes. The move came as the company prepared for headwinds from tariffs as well as intensifying competition in the PC market.

8. HPE Reportedly Cuts 5% of Workforce

As CRN reports, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise said in March that it plans to cut about 5% of its workforce—roughly 2,500 employees—over the next 12 to 18 months, with an additional 500 roles expected to be eliminated through attrition.

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(Photo credit: FREEPIK)

Please note that this article cites information from CNBC, TheStreet.com, Reuters, Bloomberg, CRN, The Times of India, and Oregon Live.


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