Oracle has begun laying off employees as part of a cost-cutting effort, with its employees receiving notifications about their termination early Tuesday, reported Business Insider.
“After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change,” the notification sent to affected employees read, mentioned the report. “As a result, today is your last working day,” it stated.
Layoffs by the software maker appear to have affected employees in multiple regions across the globe – although the full extent of the cuts is not yet clear.
How many people have been laid off?
The layoffs were in the thousands mentioned a report by CNBC – citing two people aware of the matter.
Oracle employed 162,000 people, as of May 2025 – its most recent 10-K filing showed.
Severance package, termination paperwork details given
The email told the affected employees that once they complete the termination paperwork, they would be eligible for a severance package in line with the company’s policy. It said further details, including the severance terms and termination date, would be shared via DocuSign on their official email accounts.
Employees were also asked to provide a personal email address to receive separation-related documents at the earliest — warning — that their access to company systems would be revoked soon.
“After signing your termination paperwork, you will be eligible to receive a severance package subject to the terms and conditions of the severance plan. You will receive an email from DocuSign to your Oracle email address with details on your severance and termination date,” the email stated – as per Business Insider’s report.
Earlier this month, Oracle had reportedly internally informed staff that it would be reassessing many of the open job listings in its cloud division, effectively slowing down or temporarily halting new hiring.
Oracle bets big on AI
According to a Bloomberg report published earlier this moth– the software maker — led by Larry Ellison is embarking on a historic build-out of data centres aimed at powering AI workloads for major customers such as Sam Altman-led OpenAI.
Oracle is long known for its database products, but it has been shifting its strategy in recent years to bulk up its cloud computing business with a strong focus on AI. Through these efforts, Oracle intends to position itself as a viable competitor to market leaders such as Amazon and Microsoft.
