LinkedIn, Tech Giants Announce Major Layoffs in Bay Area

LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, has laid off 281 employees across its California offices in Mountain View, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and Carpinteria, with most cuts affecting software engineers, product managers, designers, and strategists. These layoffs are part of Microsoft's broader plan to eliminate about 6,000 jobs globally, constituting roughly 3% of its workforce. The layoffs reflect ongoing downsizing trends in the tech sector, with other major companies like Meta, Google, and Apple also announcing significant job reductions in recent months. Executives, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have cited restructuring, AI investments, and low performance as key factors behind the cuts, and highlighted AI's increasing role in automating technical tasks. LinkedIn has not indicated whether additional layoffs are planned. The situation underscores a challenging job market for tech professionals amid rapid industry shifts.