US software giant Microsoft is to cut up to 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months - including 1,400 immediately - due to a slowing economy and weak spending on technology.
Microsoft employs 1,200 people at Sandyford in Dublin, but a spokesperson said the cuts would have only 'a very minor impact' in Ireland. It is believed fewer than 20 jobs will go.
Microsoft said net profit fell by 11% in the second quarter of its financial year compared with a year earlier to $4.17 billion. Revenue was $16.63 billion, 2% more than the same period a year ago.
The world's biggest software firm said that 'in light of the further deterioration of global economic conditions', it was eliminating up to 5,000 jobs. The cuts will be in research and development, marketing, sales, finance, legal, human resources and IT over the next 18 months.
Microsoft employs some 91,000 people and the job cuts announced today amount to a reduction of about 5.5%of its global workforce. Rumours of job cuts at the firm had been circulating for weeks.
