Tech Layoffs Hit Milan as AI Reshapes Industry
Milan, Italy – A fresh wave of layoffs is impacting the tech sector in Milan, with companies including Samsung, Microsoft, and Epson initiating collective dismissal procedures. The cuts reflect a broader global trend driven by declining sales in customary hardware and the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence.
Samsung recently announced a worldwide reduction of 10,000 employees, partially attributed to falling television and device sales amid growing competition from Chinese manufacturers, prompting a strategic shift in focus. This has resulted in a collective dismissal procedure affecting approximately twenty employees in Milan.
Microsoft Italy and Epson are also implementing layoffs. EpsonS cuts come as demand for printers - a core product – diminishes with increasing digitalization, a trend also impacting HP. Microsoft, like other firms, is streamlining functions potentially replaceable by AI programs.
These layoffs follow notable workforce reductions between 2022 and 2023, initiated by companies like Meta-Facebook, Salesforce, Yahoo, and Ubisoft. Microsoft previously implemented a collective dismissal procedure in Italy in 2023, affecting 59 of its 1,080 employees.
The current wave also includes 35 redundancies at Paramount Italia, linked to cuts in the US impacting the cinema and entertainment industries. Unions are currently negotiating agreements, exit incentives, and other measures to manage the impact of these procedures, with similar dynamics expected to continue throughout 2025.