Microsoft has just announced its pledge to add 1,000 jobs in China over the next year. This decision comes amidst the widespread job cuts throughout the whole tech industry of China.
Microsoft is Planning to Expand Its Workforce in China from 9,000 Employees to 10,000 Workers
According to the story by SCMP, Microsoft already has a workforce of 9,000 individuals in China and plans to expand this number to 10,000. The news was shared via the company's official Weibo account.
As per Microsoft, about 80% of their employees in China are working in research and development. The news comes as Microsoft was celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Chinese market.
Company Plans to Expand Its Campuses in Suzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing
The company also noted that they are planning to expand its campuses in Suzhou, Shanghai, and last but not least, Beijing. The campus expansions are expected to happen over the next three to five years.
As of press time, the firm reportedly has its offices located in 13 different cities in China. The announcement also coincides with massive lay-offs happening in the tech sector of China amidst what SCMP described as a "weakening economy and tightened regulatory scrutiny.
Examples of Job Cuts Include Tencent Letting Go of 5,500 Employees
Examples of job cuts in Southeast Asia include Shopee which recently let go of 180 employees in Indonesia resulting in 3% of its workforce as per Tech in Asia. This is just one of the smaller layoffs in the tech industry.
Tencent, another massive Chinese company, has also laid off 5,500 employees. According to Gadgets 360, this resulted in the first quarterly decline when it came to the company's workforce for over eight years since 2014.
Microsoft has also had to Cut Certain Roles from Its 180,000-Worker Global Workforce
Microsoft has also admitted to letting go of "a small number" of roles from its global workforce which totals 180,000. The affected teams, according to Bloomberg, include customer and partner solutions and consulting.
Despite having to let go of its workers, Microsoft announced that it will still be placing its bets on what it described as the "acceleration of China's digital economy" in order for them to discover new opportunities.
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Microsoft Previously Wanted to Expand Its Gaming Arm in China to Help Game Studios and Publishers Expand Overseas
As per Microsoft's chairman and CEO of the China region, Hou Yang, as the leading economics growth engine of the world, the country still has a very solid foundation when it comes to promoting the development of the digital economy. Yang then described the situation as "showing broader prospects and potential."
This is not the first time that the company announced that it has made a pledge to hire more people within China. Back in February, the gaming arm of Microsoft also announced that they will be adding new employees in China in order for them to help Chinese game studios and publishers work on expansions overseas with the help of the Xbox.
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Written by Urian B.
