Oracle’s layoffs signal deepening AI threat for software firms and employees
American technology major Oracle Corporation’s decision to part ways with 30,000 employees globally—almost 19% of its total workforce—has sent shockwaves through the organization. It has also deepened concerns about the sustainability of software product companies in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.Employees across sales, human resources, engineering and developer roles faced the axe after receiving an email from the company’s leadership at 6 am (in all time zones) on Wednesday, citing “broader organisational change”.
The company, which follows a June-May financial calendar, ended FY25 with 162,000 employees worldwide.Mint learns that about 12,000-15,000 of Oracle’s layoffs will be in India, which has a total of 30,000 employees, according to at least four people with knowledge of the matter. Employees across the company’s Oracle Health and AI (security) program and Oracle Health Foundations were amongst those asked to leave, these people said.The company is expected to pay severance equal to four weeks of base salary, plus one week per year of service, according to one of the four people mentioned above.
Another executive said a second tranche of layoffs is expected in the coming month.Employees contacted by Mint in India described the layoffs as sudden and unsettling. While some said their roles were rendered redundant despite continuous reskilling, others were retained based on their alignment with the company’s AI priorities.Oracle declined to comment on Mint’s queries on the issue.Experts said the layoffs signal a broader shift across the software product industry, particularly among SaaS (software as a service) companies.Kashyap Kompella, founder and chief executive of tech consultancy firm
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