Salesforce, a global leader in customer relationship management software, has announced that it will be laying off 8000 workers, representing roughly 8% of its global workforce. This move comes as the latest in a series of tech industry layoffs and cost-cutting measures amid the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The layoffs will affect employees in various departments across the company, including sales, marketing, and research and development. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff stated that the decision was a difficult one, but necessary in order to weather the current economic storm and emerge stronger on the other side.
Salesforce is not the only tech company to make such a move in recent months. Many other firms, including Microsoft, Google, and Intel, have also announced layoffs and other cost-cutting measures as the pandemic continues to impact businesses around the world.
The layoffs come as a surprise to many, as Salesforce had previously been seen as a stable and growing company. In the past year, the company had made a number of acquisitions and investments, including the $27.7 billion purchase of data analytics firm Tableau.
Despite the layoffs, Salesforce remains optimistic about the future. The company has stated that it will continue to invest in strategic areas such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and customer experience. It will also continue to hire for certain roles in order to maintain its competitive edge in the market.
The impact of the layoffs on Salesforce’s employees and the tech industry as a whole remains to be seen. However, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and far-reaching impact on businesses and workers around the world.
