Connect with us

Company News

Microsoft plans 1,000 new jobs in China despite slumping economy

US technology giant Microsoft Corp has pledged to add 1,000 jobs in China in the coming year, in a sign of confidence in the world’s second-largest economy, bucking widespread job cuts in the Chinese tech industry.

The Redmond, Washington-based company plans to grow its workforce in China to over 10,000 next year, up from the current size of 9,000, according to a statement published on its account on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Tuesday.

Around 80 per cent of Microsoft’s employees in the country work in research and development, the company said.

As part of Tuesday’s message celebrating Microsoft’s 30th anniversary in the Chinese market, the company also said it will expand its campuses in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou in the next three to five years. The firm has offices in 13 Chinese cities.

Microsoft’s announcement comes despite a spate of massive lay-offs among some of the largest technology companies operating in China amid a weakening economy and tightened regulatory scrutiny.

Earlier this week, Southeast Asia’s largest e-commerce firm Shopee laid off a number of employees in the country as part of its ongoing efforts to “optimise operating efficiency”.

During the second quarter, Chinese social media and video gaming giant Tencent Holdings downsized its workforce for the first time on record, cutting nearly 5,500 jobs from its payroll. In that same period, smartphone maker Xiaomi slashed more than 900 jobs – nearly 3 per cent of its workforce.

The payroll size of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning Post, dropped by more than 9,200 during that quarter.

In July, Microsoft itself admitted to eliminating “a small number” of roles out of its 180,000-strong global workforce. The teams affected included customer and partner solutions and consulting, according to a Bloomberg report.

Still, Microsoft said it is betting on the “acceleration of China’s digital economy” to “discover opportunities”.

“As the world’s leading economic growth engine, China has a solid foundation in promoting the development of the digital economy, showing broad prospects and potential,” said Hou Yang, Microsoft’s chairman and CEO of the Greater China region.

It is not the first time that Microsoft has pledged new hires in the country. In February, its video gaming arm also announced it would add new employees in China to help Chinese game studios and publishers expand overseas through its Xbox console. South China Morning Post

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Copyright © 2024 Communications Today

error: Content is protected !!