#accenture

#accenture

It depends on how one defines a layoff. Microsoft Corp. ( NASDAQ: MSFT) has done it in waves, a few thousand here and a few thousand there. When one was announced, CEO Satya Nadella said, "the job cuts illustrate the enigma of success in an industry that has no franchise value." That was a vague description of artificial intelligence (AI).

First, its primary focus is investing in upskilling people, next it will "exiting people in a compressed timeline where reskilling is not a viable path for the skills it needs," and third it will identify areas to drive more operating efficiencies. Sweet said on the subsequent earnings call that Accenture expects savings of more than $1 billion from its business optimization program, which the company says will be invested into the business and its people.