Oracle cuts 21,000 jobs over past year as AI restructuring deepens
US software giant Oracle has cut about 21,000 jobs over the past 12 months — roughly 13% of its global workforce — as it shifts resources toward AI infrastructure. CEO Safra Catz said the layoffs are part of a deliberate restructuring aligning the company with the AI buildout and cloud computing demand.
Oracle has confirmed to BBC Business that it has cut about 21,000 jobs over the past 12 months — roughly 13% of its global workforce of around 160,000 a year ago. Most of the reductions fell in marketing, sales support, corporate communications and legacy software maintenance, while technical product and AI engineering units have continued net hiring. CEO Safra Catz said « we are restructuring the company for the AI era », framing the move as support for the rapid expansion of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
The layoffs follow Oracle's five-year deal with OpenAI worth roughly $300 billion in cloud commitments. Oracle has emerged as one of the lead infrastructure providers for the Stargate data-centre programme, single-handedly covering the power and cooling envelope of its first large site in Abilene, Texas. The company plans to raise $38 billion in bonds during the 2026 fiscal year to fund the buildout.
The cuts are not an isolated story. Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Salesforce have announced more than 75,000 combined layoffs in 2026, with most freed budget redirected to AI data centres and chip infrastructure. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, AI-attributed layoffs have crossed 95,000 year-to-date. Oracle shares were up 1.9% in pre-market trading in New York after the BBC report.
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