IBM Layoffs, Cutting Thousands of Jobs in Fourth Quarter of 2025

According to a Bloomberg News report, International Business Machines (IBM) announced on Tuesday that it plans a workforce reduction in the fourth quarter of 2025, describing the measure as a “low single-digit percentage” of its global employee base.

IBM currently employs approximately 270,000 people worldwide, as of the end of 2024.

The cuts come as IBM pivots toward its software and cloud services businesses, particularly its Red Hat unit, under Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna. In a brief statement, the company said:

“We routinely review our workforce … and at times rebalance accordingly.”

Earlier in 2025, IBM laid off around 8,000 employees, mostly in its human resources and support functions divisions, as part of its automation and AI transformation efforts.

In March 2025, reports indicated that roughly 9,000 employees in IBM’s U.S. “Cloud Classic” segment were at risk of being let go as the company shifted jobs to India, according to internal sources.

The current announcement does not specify exact numbers or identify affected regions or business units beyond the global workforce percentage. IBM noted that U.S. employment levels are expected to remain “roughly flat year-over-year.”

IBM’s shares fell about 2% in reaction to the news of these latest IBM layoffs.