IBM recently announced that it will lay off a small number of employees in the current quarter. A spokesperson for the company said in an interview: "In the fourth quarter, we will take an action in which a certain proportion of our global employees will be optimized. While this may affect some U.S. positions, we expect the number of employees in the U.S. to be the same as last year."

According to IBM's latest annual report, as of the end of 2024, IBM's total number of global employees will be 270,000. If the layoffs were 1%, approximately 2,700 positions would be affected.

Recently, many technology companies have been making layoffs and adjustments, and some companies are seeking to increase productivity by increasing the application of artificial intelligence tools. For example, Amazon announced it would lay off 14,000 corporate employees, while Facebook parent company Meta said it would cut 600 jobs in its artificial intelligence division.

It is worth noting that IBM's performance shows strong growth. According to its October 22 earnings report, IBM's revenue exceeded expectations, with revenue from its software division growing 10%. This performance is in line with market expectations and also shows that CEO Arvind Krishna has successfully helped IBM expand its revenue sources since taking over in 2020.

Despite facing layoffs, IBM continues to adjust its strategy during the transformation process. In March 2024, the company laid off some employees in its marketing and communications departments. At the same time, as the application of artificial intelligence in enterprises continues to deepen, about 200 positions in IBM's human resources department have been replaced by AI agents and replaced by more sales staff and software developers.

In general, IBM's layoffs are in line with the layoff trend in the global technology industry, especially with the development of artificial intelligence technology, more and more companies are optimizing operations through automation and intelligence. However, IBM's efforts in continuous innovation and expansion of business areas still enable it to remain competitive in the face of challenges and continue to promote digital transformation.