With over 18,400 employees globally, LinkedIn’s current job cuts could signal a deeper transformation within Microsoft’s ecosystem.
In a fresh blow to the tech sector, LinkedIn has announced layoffs affecting 281 employees in California, impacting software engineers and managerial staff. The job cuts come as part of a broader trend of workforce reductions sweeping through Silicon Valley, adding an ironic twist as the professional networking platform—long known for helping people find jobs—now becomes the latest to slash its own.
The move follows Microsoft’s earlier announcement this month to slash 6,000 jobs globally, or about 3% of its total workforce. As a Microsoft-owned company, LinkedIn has not been spared from the broader downsizing strategy.
LinkedIn joins a growing list of tech firms—including Google, Meta, and Autodesk—scaling down their workforces in 2025. While some cite restructuring, others point to shifting priorities and underperformance. But a common thread across most announcements is the acceleration of AI deployment and the drive to “streamline operations.”
