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Several high-profile companies have already announced or are planning to reduce their workforce in 2025. Pixabay

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, a recent survey by the World Economic Forum (WEF) found that 41% of companies globally anticipate reducing their workforces over the next five years due to AI advancements.

While these workforce cuts raise concerns, there is also a silver lining. The tech sector, in particular, is expected to see significant growth, with jobs in fields like big data, fintech, and AI projected to double by 2030, suggesting a shift in the types of skills and roles in demand, according to the WEF report.

Several high-profile companies in the media, finance, manufacturing, retail, and energy sectors have already announced or are planning to reduce their workforce in 2025 due to various factors amid technological change.

Here are some of the notable companies with planned job cuts:

Meta To Cut 5% of Workforce

Meta is reducing 5% of its workforce following a decision by CEO Mark Zuckerberg to implement stricter performance management policies.

Meta has laid off more than 21,000 employees since 2022, and further cuts are expected in the upcoming performance review cycle, with U.S. employees being notified by Feb.10.

Microsoft Plans Unspecified Workforce Reductions

Microsoft is planning layoffs, though the exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed. The company is focusing on underperforming staff as part of its workforce reduction efforts. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed the cuts, emphasizing the company's focus on "high-performance talent" and addressing underperformance when necessary, Business Insider reported.

Starbucks Announces Layoffs In March

The global coffee chain, Starbucks, is planning layoffs in March as part of a corporate restructuring. CEO Brian Nicoll addressed the changes in a memo to staff, stating the company would be reorganizing support teams, leading to job eliminations and smaller teams going forward.

"We need to meaningfully change how our support teams are organized and how we work," and as part of that, "we will have job eliminations and smaller support teams moving forward," Nicoll said, adding that the staff will be informed of the changes by early March.

Stripe To Layoff 300 Employees

Payment platform Stripe is cutting 300 jobs, mainly in product, engineering, and operations, according to an internal memo. However, the company is still aiming to expand its workforce to 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

BP To Cut 7,700 Positions Worldwide

Oil giant BP is slashing 7,700 positions, including 4,700 staff and 3,000 contractors, as part of a restructuring initiative aimed at simplifying and focusing the company. BP stated the cuts are necessary to "strengthen our competitiveness" and lower costs.

CNN Cuts 200 Jobs

Cable news giant CNN is cutting around 200 television-focused roles, about 6% of its workforce, as part of a strategic shift toward digital platforms.

CEO Mark Thompson outlined the company's new direction in a memo to staff, stating that the goal is to ""shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations."

Post To Eliminate 4% of Non-Newsroom Roles

The Washington Post has announced a reduction of fewer than 100 employees as part of its ongoing cost-cutting measures. A spokesperson confirmed the cuts would not affect newsroom staff and emphasized that the company was "continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry and build a more sustainable future."

BlackRock To Cut 1% of Workforce

BlackRock is cutting around 200 employees from its 21,000-person workforce. However, the reductions are offset by around 3,750 workers who were added in 2024 and another 2,000 expected hires in 2025. The company stated that the cuts would help realign its resources to its overall strategy.

Ally To Lay Off 5% Of Workforce

Ally, a digital financial services company, is laying off about 500 employees, or roughly 5% of its workforce. A spokesperson confirmed the cuts, but noted that the company continues to hire in other areas. Employees will receive severance, outplacement support, and the opportunity to apply for other roles within the company.

In 2023, Ally had implemented a similar level of layoffs.