Oracle Reportedly Begins Layoffs In The US; Canada, India, Europe Offices May Follow

Computer technology company Oracle has reportedly started cutting jobs in the United States as part of its previously reported plan to lay off thousands of employees. Previous reports revealed that the database giant was planning to cut $1 billion in expenses.

In a new report Monday, The Information revealed that the U.S. layoffs will affect some staffers in the San Francisco Bay area, citing a person with “direct knowledge of the matter.” The publication also reported that layoffs are expected in the coming weeks in some parts of Europe, Canada, and in India. Oracle has yet to make an official statement about the reported layoffs.

Last month, The Information reported that Oracle considered cost cuts of up to $1 billion and the plan could include thousands of jobs lost. According to the outlet, a person with direct knowledge of the situation noted that the proposal to cut jobs as part of trimming expenses “could disproportionately impact U.S.- and Europe-based workers in units such as marketing for software applications that automate customer service and ecommerce functions.”

Oracle Executive Vice President of Corporate Operations Douglas Kehring said during a 2021 event that the customer experience division had “historically been probably a little more disappointing than it should have been.”

While it is unclear which departments and how many people are being laid off, posts on an anonymous forum, The Layoff, indicated widespread job cuts in the company’s customer experience unit. One user posted “Confirming two in Oracle Analyst Relations got laid off in addition to a few others in recent weeks.” Another user said “3 people including myself from the CX Unity team got laid off. More calls coming in later in the day.”

Speaking with Bloomberg, a former employee who spoke on condition of anonymity said a division sales director and junior sales workers were let go. Four others with direct knowledge of the matter told the outlet that some employees were informed that they had been removed from their roles Monday.

The reported layoffs came less than two months after Oracle completed all the regulatory documents for its acquisition of health information technology service provider Cerner Corporation. In a blog post regarding the acquisition, Oracle Industries Executive Vice President Mike Sicilia wrote that Oracle “has a uniquely positioned opportunity to offer new solutions to a broken healthcare system.”

Oracle joins the list of tech companies laying off people or implanting hire freezes, including Twitter, Rivian, Klarna, and Google.