LinkedIn will reduce roughly 5% of its workforce as it reorganises teams
Marketing, engineering, product and global business roles are expected to be affected
Company says AI is not the direct driver of layoffs despite ongoing industry concerns
LinkedIn is preparing to lay off about 5% of its global workforce as part of a wider restructuring effort, according to two people familiar with the matter cited by Reuters. The Microsoft-owned professional networking platform employs more than 17,500 full-time workers globally, meaning the cuts could affect hundreds of employees.
In an internal memo, LinkedIn CEO Daniel Shapero said the Global Business Organization, marketing, engineering and product teams would be impacted by the decision.
He added that the company is also scaling back spending on marketing campaigns, external vendors, customer events and underutilised office space to redirect resources toward higher-impact priorities.
1 May 2026
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A LinkedIn spokesperson told Business Insider that the changes were part of “regular business planning” designed to position the company for future growth and stability.
The layoffs come even as LinkedIn reported a 12% year-on-year (YoY) rise in revenue in its latest quarter, supported by stronger performance in recruiting tools and subscription services, according to Microsoft’s securities filings.
AI Debate Amid Tech Layoffs
One of the people quoted by Reuters said the restructuring was not driven by artificial intelligence (AI) replacing jobs, although AI-related disruption continues to influence sentiment across the technology sector.
In India, LinkedIn’s latest research shows a 104% year-on-year (YoY) increase in members adding “Founder” to their profiles, the highest globally, according to its May 12 report. The data suggests AI tools and digital platforms are making entrepreneurship more accessible, particularly among Gen Z professionals shifting away from traditional full-time roles towards flexible “portfolio careers.”
Speaking to Outlook Business, LinkedIn India Country Manager Kumaresh Pattabiraman said two shifts are happening simultaneously. He noted that AI is “augmenting roles rather than replacing them outright,” helping professionals focus on higher-value skills such as creativity, decision-making and leadership.
He added that careers are becoming more fluid, with people combining jobs, side ventures and creative pursuits instead of remaining tied to a single employer, reflecting a broader redefinition of work.
The move also comes against a backdrop of widespread workforce reductions in tech. Microsoft has already cut around 15,000 jobs, while Block announced plans to eliminate nearly half its workforce and Cloudflare has unveiled a roughly 20% reduction. Meta Platforms is also reportedly planning further layoffs.
According to layoff tracking site Layoffs.fyi, more than 103,000 job cuts have been reported in the tech sector so far this year. The platform notes that this figure is quickly nearing the total of over 124,000 layoffs it recorded for the whole of 2025.
