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Microsoft is laying off approximately 6,000 employees, around 3% of its global workforce, as CNBC reports, marking the latest round of job cuts as the company continues to realign its business priorities. The move will affect workers across various teams and regions, though the company did not disclose specific departments or locations. A Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC that the layoffs are part of organizational and workforce adjustments “to reduce layers of management” and not related to job performance. The spokesperson further stated, “We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace.” Microsoft, which employed 228,000 people worldwide as of June last year, has conducted several rounds of layoffs in recent years. In 2023, the company cut 10,000 positions, according to CNBC . In 2024, Microsoft also laid off nearly 2,000 employees from its gaming division just months after a $69 million gaming...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. AI and its effect on current and future employment has been a focus for employees and employers alike, and a main topic of conversation in the media since ChatGPT came out over two years ago. ChatGPT made people think about what the future of work would look like, especially when it comes to things a person typically would have to outsource. They saw how they could do it themselves by leveraging AI. The first types of jobs that came to mind for using AI were ones that have a black-and-white approach to the work and follow a series of steps. For example, a bookkeeper who puts the same inputs and outputs into QuickBooks could be replaced by automation leveraging AI tools. These tools can build a bridge between your bookkeeping software and your accounting software and route the entries where they need to go automatically. The belief about which type of jobs could be automated/reduced seems to have...
Black women workers lost more jobs than other demographics in April, according to a report. While the overall unemployment rate for April 2025 remained unchanged, stats released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic show that Black women lost 38,000 jobs and their unemployment went up by 106,000, according to Creative Investment Research. Bloomberg notes the unemployment rate for Black women was a full percentage point higher at 6.1% (compared to 5.1% in March), and this rate has been on the rise since February 2024. Some of the steady decline in their employment is partially attributed to the decline in the workforce as a result of initiatives being pushed by the Trump Administration. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, it struck down diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the federal level, and many corporations have followed suit to ensure their policies are in alignment. Black women workers at the federal level have declined by an estimated 33% within the last year...
Unemployment insurance (UI) is a critical safety net for workers. It’s designed to provide temporary financial assistance to people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. For startups , it’s important to understand the legal obligations around unemployment benefits, especially when navigating the challenges of hiring employees and managing payroll. While large corporations typically have well-established unemployment insurance practices, startups may be less familiar with the requirements. This article explores whether startups are required to offer unemployment benefits, how unemployment insurance works, and what employees and founders should expect. Understanding Unemployment Insurance And Employer Responsibilities Unemployment insurance is a joint federal-state program that provides financial assistance to eligible workers who are unemployed for reasons beyond their control. Each state administers its unemployment insurance program within federal guidelines. This...
The Trump administration has repealed a Biden-era policy that guaranteed a baseline wage for workers on federal contracts, cutting the federal contractor minimum wage down from $17.75 an hour. However, the move still leaves an Obama-era rule in place that puts the minimum at $13.30 an hour. With that single change, hundreds of thousands of private-sector workers employed by federal contractors are at risk of wage reductions up to 25% — a shift that will disproportionately affect workers without college degrees and those already earning near-poverty wages, the Center for American Progress reports. The Federal Contractor Minimum Wage: A Lifeline Now Lost The now-defunct regulation, established under Executive Order 14026, raised the federal contractor minimum wage in 2021 to $15 and indexed it to inflation, bringing it to $17.75 in 2025. It was designed to ensure that janitors, cooks, maintenance workers, and other federal contract laborers earned a livable wage. More than 327,000...
The U.S. job market is sending mixed messages — and workers are caught in the middle. On one hand, employers are adding jobs at a pace that suggests economic growth. On the other hand, unemployment is rising and confidence in long-term stability is shrinking. It’s a win-loss moment for the American workforce: The numbers are up, but the foundation feels shaky. According to CNN, the U.S. economy added 228,000 jobs in March, beating expectations and extending a 51-month streak of job growth — one of the longest in U.S. history. Yet, in the same report, the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, indicating that while more people are entering the labor force, not everyone is finding a place in it. The Strengths And Limits Of The Job Market March’s numbers were encouraging in many ways. Job creation exceeded expectations, and average wages rose 0.3% for the month, slowing to a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Economists had predicted slower growth — around 130,000 new jobs — but the market...
Performance review season is underway for U.S. staff at TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance , with low-scoring employees being forced into a performance-improvement plan (PIP) or offered severance. TikTok conducts employee reviews twice a year, and last year, the company instructed managers to assign more low scores during the review cycles, according to Business Insider. Three current employees told the outlet that accepting a PIP instead of severance is uncommon because it is tough to succeed under a PIP. “They’ll PIP people, and then they’ll hire new people, and then they’ll continue this meat grinder of performance reviews,” one staffer said. The employees reported that the value of the offers varied, with one including a month of “garden leave,” where the employee remains on payroll without needing to work, and an additional one-month severance payout as part of a mutual separation agreement. A TikTok spokesperson confirmed that the company is implementing PIPs but...
Seattle, WA-based Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate support employees as part of an effort to streamline operations and improve efficiency. On Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced in a news release that those affected will receive notice on Feb. 25. The decision comes after senior leaders began “evaluating the role, structure, and size” of the coffee chain’s global corporate teams in January. “I recognize the news is difficult. It is not a decision the leadership team took lightly,” Niccol wrote. “We understand the real effect this has on partners’ lives and their families. We believe it’s a necessary change to position Starbucks for future success — and to ensure we deliver for our green apron partners and the customers they serve.” The release noted that the layoffs do not affect Starbucks retail store employees or baristas. While the plan also includes eliminating several hundred additional open and unfilled positions, Niccol said the company will...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Significant layoffs have been a consistent theme throughout the world of work for over three years. Whether you work in tech, media, or finance you have seen the news or know of those who have been impacted. Gone is the employment heyday of the pandemic, when firms across the board ramped up their hiring efforts in 2020 and 2021. This led to people embracing new opportunities and getting bumps in compensation that were not previously available. Unfortunately, when the boosts to businesses and balance sheets went away, firms started laying off their workforces in droves. Initially, the reasons behind the cuts were due to overhiring, and companies were looking to streamline their workforces and management in order to move the organizations more nimbly. The media started to refer to it as a “White-Collar Recession” because while other sectors like hospitality and health services saw employment...
The Forbes Union has walked out after publishing the company’s annual “30 Under 30” list. The list’s Class of 2025 features individuals across industries such as sports, entertainment, energy and green tech, artificial intelligence, food and drink, venture capital, marketing and advertising, science, and gaming, among others. Boston Celtics player Jayson Tatum, country artist Shaboozey , actress Ryan Destiny, Miss EmpowHer founder Caitlyn Kumi, and Foundry Technologies founder Jared Quincy Davis are some of the individuals listed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Forbes (@forbes) A total of 600 individuals are featured, collectively contributing $3.6 billion in funding and amassing over 300 million followers across social media, Forbes states. Unsurprisingly, the list generates significant buzz and excitement among readers. It’s precisely for these reasons that editorial staffers made a calculated decision to stage a walkout, drawing attention to a three-year-long...
REFORM Alliance and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation joined forces Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, by hosting a job fair in Richmond, VA, that connected over 2,000 job seekers with more than 1,500 open positions. The free event focused on removing employment barriers for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system , particularly those on probation or parole, according to a press release. Participants had access to a diverse range of 36 employers, including major national brands like Amazon, Starbucks, and Foot Locker , alongside local businesses from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The job fair also featured numerous state and local government agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia State University, and the City of Richmond. Jessica S., who was recently released from incarceration, interviewed with both Amazon and Foot Locker and received invitations for second-round interviews. “It’s been a struggle to find work...
For many individuals seeking new employment, one of the most stressful aspects of a job hunt is nailing the interview . Your in-person performance before your potential employer could make or break your chances of being hired, and provides you with the best opportunity to sell yourself on merit, personality, and knowledge of the field. But, in order to do all of that, you’ll first need to answer a few common interview questions that you should expect when applying for most roles. These questions range from simple yes or no answer sets to more elaborate inquiries into your work experience and employment history. While the most common interview questions are designed to give your employer a full picture of your personality and capability, some can be quite tricky to traverse. That challenging aspect doesn’t bode well for those already anxious about the job application and onboarding process. That’s where we come in with the following list of the most common interview questions, in...
The beautiful thing about fine art, specifically music, is that it speaks to the issues of the time. Often, those songs are made to address certain historic moments but end up being a case study of sorts for the future. It can be seen across genres in songs such as Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” or Walter Hawkin’s “Thank You Lord,” where in one of the verses he sings, “economies down, people can’t get enough pay.” Although some of these songs were produced well before the issues of today, they are perpetual concerns that society has found itself facing again and again. Those same messages are on par with the pain points many people feel and are going through. One of those pain points is the economy’s impact on the job industry, and it has now impacted what is known as the happiest place on Earth. According to The Wall Street Journal, Disney is part of the long list of employers recently announcing layoffs. The Florida-based company eliminated its entire Metaverse division. At its...
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are the buzzwords for many organizations. Companies across every industry are creating strategies and programs to ensure that current and future team members have a safe and equitable work environment. But, what happens when the majority thinks DEI initiatives hurt them?