Microsoft will lay off 1,985 employees in Washington state starting July 12, including 475 remote workers, according to a WARN notice. It’s the largest local cut since 2023.

Layoff fears may be particularly prevalent in the tech space. Tech firms ramped up hiring during the pandemic when demand for their products surged. Forced remote work changed the landscape and paved the way to more jobs.

Microsoft began laying off about 6,000 workers Tuesday, nearly 3% of its entire workforce and its largest job cuts in more than two years as the company spends heavily on artificial intelligence.