MICROSOFT HAS ANNOUNCED a huge round of job cuts and workers based in Ireland will be affected.

The company said today it intends to do away with around 4,800 roles, around 2.1% of its global workforce.

The layoffs are mostly concentrated in Microsoft’s Xbox gaming and commercial departments.

The Department of Enterprise confirmed it has received notice of the collective redundancies from Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited Company and Microsoft Ireland Research Unlimited Company.

Microsoft employs more than 3,500 people in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

It also has video game studios in Dublin and Cork. 

Explaining the job cuts, Microsoft’s HR chief Amy Coleman said:

“Our business is changing because the world around it is changing. The way technology is built, deployed, and used is transforming faster than at any point in my time here.

“Our customers’ needs are shifting, the business models that serve them are shifting, and that means the work itself – what we do, where we focus, and how we’re organised – has to transform too.”

Coleman also indicated the company would likely be letting more staff go at other departments in the future.

“We are still early on this journey, and there will be more changes ahead; other parts of our business will need to make similar changes,” she said in a blog post. 

Coleman also said the people losing their jobs will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), but added:

“At the same time, what is true is that AI is changing how work gets done. Some of the tasks we do every day can now be automated, and that means we all need to keep learning, keep building new skills, and keep adapting as the work evolves.”

When asked by The Journal, Microsoft did not reveal how many workers are likely to be affected by the cuts in Ireland.