Microsoft carries out 'small round' of layoffs

As we near the end of January, Microsoft has carried out what is being described as a "small round" of layoffs. According to Petri, the layoffs have hit employees in Microsoft's corporate offices, as well as those located in other regions.

It's unclear how many employees are impacted by the cuts, Petri reports that they number in the hundreds, which is a relatively small portion of the more than 100,000 people employed by Microsoft. The bulk of those impacted appear to be in the Windows and Devices Group, although some staff was also cut from Bing and other teams as well, according to the report.

Microsoft confirmed the layoffs to Petri, but didn't provide any further information.

In recent years, Microsoft has undergone organizational shifts that have seen thousands of employees laid off. In 2014, Microsoft announced plans to cut 18,000 jobs by the end of June 2015. The company followed that up with plans to cut an additional 7,800 employees in July of 2015. Further cuts were announced in mid-2016. This week's layoffs appear to be much smaller in comparison.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl