IBM layoffs: Tech giant to cut thousands of roles amid focus on software growth — Who will get affected?
Layoffs at IBM: According to Bloomberg News, while there are more than one lakh layoffs in major technology companies around the world, International Business Machines Corp (IBM) is preparing to cut thousands of roles to focus on software growth.
The layoffs will occur this quarter as the company shifts its focus to software and services.
“We routinely review our workforce from this perspective and rebalance accordingly from time to time,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying in the report.
“We are taking action in the fourth quarter that will impact a low-single-digit percentage of our global workforce.”
slowdown in growth
IBM noted a slowdown in growth in its key cloud software segment last month, according to Reuters. Its shares, which have risen more than 35% this year, fell nearly 2% on Tuesday.
Who will be affected?
Some U.S. workers may be affected by layoffs, but employment in the country is expected to remain roughly the same year over year, the spokesman said.
How many employees does IBM have?
The company has approximately 270,000 employees by the end of 2024.
Technical layoffs
In recent months, many technology companies, including Amazon, TCS and Microsoft, have announced layoffs as the focus shifts to artificial intelligence.
More than 112,732 tech workers were laid off at 218 tech companies in 2025 alone, according to Layoffs.fyi, a platform that tracks layoffs in the global tech industry.
Watch: Amazon Fires Meta, More Than 150,000 People Ahead of Christmas | What is the reason for these mass layoffs?
Amazon layoffs
Last week, Amazon announced it would cut its global corporate workforce by nearly 14,000 people, with more cuts expected next year.
The online retailer has begun laying off employees across multiple divisions as part of a plan.
According to Reuters, Amazon will give most affected employees 90 days to look for a new position within the company and said its hiring teams will prioritize these candidates.
Layoffs at TCS
The total workforce of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s largest IT services firm, declined by 19,755 to 593,314 as of the second quarter of fiscal 2025-26.
Microsoft layoffs
Microsoft, the second most valuable publicly traded company globally after Nvidia, has laid off more than 15,000 employees so far in 2025.
