Rumors suggest Microsoft layoffs next month
Unsubstantiated rumors are swirling that Microsoft is planning layoffs next year. One blog, Fudzilla, claims to hear that the company is preparing to lay off as much as 15,000 of its 90,000-employee company, or around 17 percent of its staff, before its quarterly earnings report on January 22nd. Another blog, Mini-Microsoft, has published a long list of quotes, off the record comments and other insider info of various sorts that indicate layoffs may be happening - or not.
So we don’t really know anything yet, as a Microsoft spokesperson declined to comment when we asked about imminent layoffs. The only piece of tangible evidence we have is that Microsoft isn’t going all out at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month. Chief executive Steve Ballmer isn’t throwing the company’s usual dinner with the press this year, and executives for the Xbox won’t be available for interviews.