Microsoft is laying off 4,800 employees

Microsoft said Monday it is immediately eliminating 4,800 jobs, representing 2.1% of its workforce, in the software giant’s latest effort to cut costs in the era of artificial intelligence. Its Xbox division will lose about one-fifth of its staff, including 1,600 jobs on Monday and additional cuts in the coming months.

• Microsoft is laying off 4,800 employees immediately, after carrying out a voluntary retirement program.
• Microsoft’s stock is down 19% this year, trailing its megacap peers.
• Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox plans to eliminate 3,200 jobs, or around 20% of its staff over the next year, as part of a massive reorganization to spur growth in the struggling gaming division.  Four studios will go independent.

While Microsoft recorded accelerating growth in cloud services and LinkedIn in recent quarters, it’s lagging in other areas, such as Windows operating system licenses, Surface devices and the Xbox gaming unit, where revenue has been shrinking.

Amazon Layoffs in 2026

In 2026, Amazon conducted major corporate layoffs, primarily in January, as part of a broader restructuring effort to reduce bureaucracy, layers of management, and increase efficiency (including AI-driven productivity gains).

Key Layoffs in 2026

• January 2026: Amazon confirmed ~16,000 corporate role cuts globally. This followed ~14,000 cuts in October 2025, bringing the total to ~30,000 corporate positions eliminated since late 2025 — the largest workforce reduction in Amazon’s history.
  • Impacted areas included AWS, retail/operations, Prime Video, HR (People Experience and Technology), and other corporate functions.
  • Affected roles often included software engineers, managers (especially mid-level L5-L7 in retail), recruiters, and analysts.
  • Geographic notes: Significant impacts in Washington state (~2,200 jobs in one report) and California (~1,500), plus cuts in the UK, India, and elsewhere.
• Support for affected employees: US-based employees generally received 90 days to seek internal roles, plus severance, outplacement services, and health benefits (international support varied by location).
• Additional/ongoing cuts: Smaller or targeted reductions continued, including in Amazon’s Selling Partner Services team in May 2026. There were reports and rumors of a potential larger wave around May (sometimes cited as ~14,000), but these appear to have been more limited or phased rather than a single massive round matching the January scale.

Target to Lay off 500 Workers as New CEO Shakes Up Leadership Team

In an internal memo obtained by CNBC, the retailer said Monday that it is increasing store staffing but cutting around 500 jobs at distribution centers and regional offices. 

• Improving shoppers’ in-store experience is a priority for newly minted Target CEO Michael Fiddelke, who took the helm at the beginning of this month.

The company said it was consolidating the number of districts to streamline its store field structure and better empower store directors, prompting the layoffs. It said the restructuring would allow for increased investment in additional in-store labor and guest-experience training.

Target didn’t specify how much it would increase in-store investments, but it also announced a leadership shake-up on Tuesday.

“These structure changes will support growth,” the company said.

Fiddelke, who was appointed in August and officially took the helm this month, has said he wants to improve merchandising, digital capabilities and the store experience. On Tuesday, he said he was replacing the head of merchandising at the company and bringing in a new chief operating officer.

Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez will leave the company, while Jill Sando, who oversees merchandising for apparel and accessories, home and Fun101, will retire, Target said.

Home Depot cuts 800 jobs, orders corporate workers back to office full time

Home Depot  has laid off 800 workers associated with its corporate headquarters, part of an effort to boost the company’s speed and focus more on its front-line workers.

• Layoffs affected fewer than 150 roles at the Atlanta headquarters, and the rest worked remotely

The home-improvement retailer also said its corporate employees will have to return to the office five days a week, starting the week of April 6.

Home Depot said the layoffs affected fewer than 150 roles based at its Atlanta headquarters, and the rest worked remotely.

The cuts amount to about 0.2% of the company’s total workforce, given it employed 470,100 people at the end of fiscal year 2024, according to its latest annual filing.

The changes aim to simplify Home Depot’s corporate operations to better support its stores and customers, the company said.