Microsoft is setting fire to jobs and payroll in the largest series of layoffs in its 39-year history.
The Washington-based tech giant will lay off up to 18,000 employees, it announced on Thursday, including 12,500 from businesses the company acquired from cell phone manufacturer Nokia.
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Microsoft announced its acquisition of the Finnish company’s Device and Services businesses last September, as well as its licensing of its patents and mapping services.
“We will simplify the way we work to drive greater accountability, become more agile and move faster,” new CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a memo to employees that was made publish on Thursday. “We plan to have fewer layers of management, both top down and sideways, to accelerate the flow of information and decision making.”
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Nadella has been on the job five months and has promised a leaner workforce. Around 1300 of the jobs cut will come from the company’s Washington operations.