Tech Layoffs 2025: Intel Cuts Over 500 Jobs; Joins Google, Microsoft In Latest Wave Of Mass Firings

The wave of layoffs sweeping the global tech industry in 2025 has reached Intel, which is set to eliminate over 500 jobs in Oregon, United States, this month. This move marks the latest in a string of workforce reductions by major tech firms adapting to slowing growth and shifting priorities towards artificial intelligence and automation.

According to a Bloomberg report, Intel will lay off 529 employees at its Aloha and Hillsboro campuses starting July 15. These job cuts follow a previous round at the company’s Santa Clara headquarters in California, where 107 staffers were let go earlier this year.

The layoffs come under the leadership of Intel’s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, who has been steering a broader restructuring effort to trim expenses and refocus operations. Though the chipmaker has not disclosed the full scale of its workforce reductions, the Bloomberg report suggests that up to 20% of its global staff could eventually be affected.

In a statement, the company explained that the Oregon layoffs are part of a strategy to build a “leaner, faster and more efficient” organisation.

Intel’s announcement adds to a growing list of job cuts across the tech sector in 2025. Industry giants including Microsoft, Google and Amazon have trimmed their workforces in recent months.

Microsoft is laying off around 9,100 employees this July, in what is its second major round of job cuts this year. In May, the company let go of 6,000 employees. The new round reportedly impacts around 4% of Microsoft’s total workforce and includes teams from Xbox gaming, sales, legal and mobile game development, including titles like Candy Crush. The company stated that the cuts are part of a broader effort to refocus on AI.

At Google, layoffs have targeted niche product divisions. The Google TV team has seen a 25% reduction, impacting around 75 employees, after the division’s budget was cut by 10%. In June, Google also began offering buyouts and voluntary exits to some staff. The tech giant, like many others, is reallocating resources to accelerate AI development.

Amazon has initiated selective job cuts as part of its plan to incorporate AI into more areas of its business. In June, the company cut around 100 jobs in its books division. In a memo, CEO Andy Jassy stated that further reductions have been planned, especially in areas such as customer service, human resources and software development, where generative AI is expected to automate significant workloads. Since 2022, Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 employees.

These layoffs across the tech industry are impacting a broad spectrum of roles and experience levels. Mid-level developers and engineers at companies like Intel and Microsoft are among those affected, along with professionals in marketing, legal and sales departments. Teams working in gaming and entertainment have also faced cuts, while regional offices in markets such as the United States and India have seen significant downsizing.