Microsoft: Goodbye to record numbers

Microsoft announced cuts of 18,000 positions Thursday, including 1,351 in the Puget Sound area, in the largest layoffs in company history. The worldwide layoffs includes slashing 12,500 Nokia employees Microsoft acquired last year with the purchase of Nokia’s handset division.“We will simplify the way we work to drive greater accountability, become more agile and move faster,” wrote CEO Satya Nadella in a memo. The downsizing will be accompanied by a new thrust into the affordable smartphone market, along with additional emphasis in cloud computing.Although Nadella hinted at layoffs last week in a companywide email, the extent of the cuts exceeds expectations — making the 2009 layoffs of 5,800 positions seem like child’s play in comparison. Beneath those official numbers though, the company could also trim its use of contract workers. According to Zdnet, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner wrote in a June 17 email that Microsoft would “reduce our reliance on contingent staff augmentation by over 20 percent year-over-year.” So, how did Wall Street-ers respond to today’s announcements? By snatching up shares of Microsoft stock, which rose over 3 percent Thursday morning.