Microsoft lays off 689 people from its Seattle-area offices

Microsoft is laying off 689 employees from its Seattle-area offices on Monday, according to a filing that was publicized by the Washington state Employment Security Department.

The latest round of layoffs affected employees in Microsoft's offices in Redmond, Bellevue and Issaquah, a spokesperson confirmed. According to Tom Warren of The Verge, the departments that were hit hard include Visual Studio for Mac, Entertainment & Devices, Azure Edge + Platform, and more. Last month, some employees in the Xbox, Surface, and HoloLens departments were affected.

Similar to the previous job cuts, those who will be laid off will receive two months of severance pay, continued vesting of stock awards for six months, healthcare coverage for six months, career transition services, and 60 days of notice prior to termination.

The development is a part of the company's plan to lay off 10,000 employees announced back in January as a part of its broader cost-cutting measures. This means that so far, Microsoft has given the pink slip to nearly 2,200 workers in the Seattle area, equivalent to about 22% of the company's global cuts.

Microsoft is just one of many tech companies that have recently laid off a significant number of employees. Other companies who have done the same include Google, Meta, Spotify, Amazon, and Twilio.

Microsoft lays off 689 people from its Seattle-area offices