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.

The software company says reduction of thousands of workers related to reducing layers of management.

Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. After that date, if you're running Microsoft 365 Apps on a Windows 10 device, the applications will continue to function as before. However, we strongly recommend upgrading to Windows 11 to avoid performance and reliability issues over time.

The company's U-turn means support for Microsoft Office apps like Excel, Outlook, and Word on Windows 10 will now continue until October 2028.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, said the layoffs will be across all levels and geographies but the cuts will focus on reducing the number of managers.

Microsoft will cut 6,000 people — about three per cent of its global workforce. An employee whose LinkedIn says she worked at Microsoft as a senior program manager shared her seven-year journey at the company.