Microsoft lays off multiple employees in Vietnam

The layoffs reportedly affected the company’s research and development (R&D) team in Vietnam, local media reported.

Information about the layoffs emerged on local social media on Monday, when several people claiming to work for Microsoft said they had been notified of a meeting titled “important business update” with company leaders and the human resources department.

One person said the meeting was about layoffs.

A Microsoft spokesperson told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the company continually adjusts how it operates and organizes its teams to support future priorities.

“These changes are implemented in various forms across the company and, in some cases, include difficult decisions affecting positions,” the spokesperson said.

The company also said it was committed to supporting affected employees through the transition with care and respect.

The company has not disclosed the number of employees affected or the positions involved in the layoffs.

Microsoft entered the Vietnamese market in 1996. It was also among the few U.S. technology companies to pioneer the development of a local R&D team.

Microsoft Vietnam said the company established an R&D engineering team at its offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2024, making Vietnam the fourth market in Asia to have such a team, after China, Japan and Taiwan, according to local press.

The team was reportedly tasked with developing Microsoft 365 solutions for global markets.

Microsoft no longer has a dedicated general director for Vietnam. The position was previously held by Nguyen Quynh Tram.

At a meeting with the press in June, Dhanawat Suthumpun, managing director for emerging markets, including Vietnam, was identified as the executive overseeing the market.