Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs

#211

Post by vitaflo » Fri, Jul 04, 2025, 6:46 PM UTC

InkCanon wrote: post #151

nyarlathotep_ wrote: post #43

I do wonder if these trends continue (paired with the offshoring and H1B replacements they're all in on (otherwise mentioned in this thread), how this effects the local housing markets in places like, in this case, Seattle. If every third 22 year old isn't making 200K, how are you going to sustain a market of crapshacks "worth" 1M?

I predict many areas will eventually become like old mining/factory towns. Middle class jobs are being offshored at an astounding rate. Just doing some math - if a tech company lays off 7% of its employees for six years and sends the jobs overseas, nearly half of its American employees will be fired

This. Tech workers are the modern day factory workers and tech cities will become like the rust belt once all the jobs get shipped overseas and AI takes over.

No it won't happen overnight, but neither did factory jobs leaving. I suspect though in 10 years the tech market for US workers will look very different than it does today.

Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs

#212

Post by vitaflo » Fri, Jul 04, 2025, 6:49 PM UTC

nyarlathotep_ wrote: post #164

InkCanon wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I predict many areas will eventually become like old mining/factory towns. Middle class jobs are being offshored at an astounding rate. Just doing some math - if a tech company lays off 7% of its employees for six years and sends the jobs overseas, nearly half of its American employees will be fired

I don't think it'll get that bad. My mostly uninformed worse case estimate is a large portion of these companies become something like the "body shops" (I believe MS has some association with Accenture, so that'd fit) where they maintain a minimal US presence for (mostly) customer facing "sales"/"high touch" positions so they have someone to broker deals and contracts with the (often clueless, IME) F500s, and then ou…

>For the "deep"/important/critical technical work, there will likely be staff retained on-shore, while the "boring" CRUD-type work that comprises some portion of the FANNAGS (whatever) is done overseas.

Someone who was a highly skilled factory worker would have said the same thing in the 80's. That didn't work out too well for them in the long run. You have to assume that eventually those overseas workers will become experts in that "deep" work because they have the incentive to.

Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs

#213

Post by vitaflo » Fri, Jul 04, 2025, 6:52 PM UTC

TurkishPoptart wrote: post #93

American employees are, for the most part, being replaced by H1-B visaholders via off-shore contracting companies. This needs to change.

Various unions of factory workers said the same thing in the 90's, and they had unions. If anything this is not going to change, only accelerate. History is repeating itself but tech workers are just the new factory workers.

Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs

#214

Post by vitaflo » Fri, Jul 04, 2025, 6:55 PM UTC

slake wrote: post #182

This is how I don't get when some predict that we'll have a shorter working week when AI improves productivity. If productivity gains are 50% the companies would rather have 50% lesser employees rather than 50% shorter work weeks.

Or have the same work week and employee size and get twice the amount of work done for the same cost. It's never going to benefit the workers in any case.

Re: Microsoft to Cut 9k Workers in Second Wave of Major Layoffs

#215

Post by pjmlp » Sat, Jul 05, 2025, 10:03 AM UTC

atomicnumber3 wrote: post #208

pjmlp wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fortunately there are other ways to determine wages. Not every society expects people to achieve maximal performace on quarterly OKR, while management foreman's play rythmic cadence drums and whip slashes.

Ok sure, dude I am with you, I am a socialist. But this doesn't help us navigate the existing system we have to work in until we can finally establish a truly socialist society.

It is a matter who we chose to vote on, the unions we empower, the fight for sensible work protection laws.

Then again, European socialism is already too left for US capitalism mindset.