Microsoft’s job cuts come after a May round that affected 6,000 roles|Robert Scoble|CC BY 2.0

Microsoft plans to lay off several thousand employees before July, primarily in sales and other departments, as it continues to make significant investments in artificial intelligence.

The job cuts come after a May round that affected 6,000 roles, mostly in product and software development.

Microsoft had 228,000 employees as of June 2024, with 45,000 in sales and marketing. In April, it began outsourcing more small-business software sales. The tech giant is also pushing AI tools that automate tasks.

Executives aim to balance tens of billions in AI infrastructure spending by limiting costs in other areas.