Microsoft R&D jobs drop for second straight year as total headcount falls for first time in a decade

The number of product research and development roles at Microsoft declined for the second straight year , according to the company’s annual regulatory filing, offering a new indication of how the tech giant is reshaping its workforce in the AI era. Microsoft’s total headcount declined by 5,000 people to 223,000 as of June 30, according to its Form 10-K , filed with the SEC this week. It’s the first annual employment decline for Microsoft since 2016, when the company was writing off and winding d