Global consulting giant Accenture has laid off more than 11,000 employees across the globe in the past three months. The company said that it is laying off employees that cannot be trained in AI, as Accenture looks to reshape its workforce for the AI era. The company confirmed that it has fired more than 11,000 employees in the past three months, even as it plans to expand headcount in the coming fiscal year. As reported by Business Insider, during the earnings call Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said that the company has been “exiting” employees it can’t retrain with artificial intelligence skills, while simultaneously planning to expand head count in the next fiscal year. “We are exiting on a compressed timeline, people where reskilling, based on our experience, is not a viable path for the skills we need,” Accenture CEO told analysts.
Accenture cuts 11,000 Jobs, no plans to stop hiring
At the end of August, Accenture’s global headcount stood at 779,000, down from 791,000 three months earlier. The round of layoffs at Accenture began earlier this year and are expected to go on till November 2025. The restructuring at the company majorly covers severance costs and is said to save more than $1 billion for the company. Accenture CFO Angie Park said that the company will also divest two acquisitions as part of what the company calls “rapid talent rotation.” “These actions will result in cost savings which will be reinvested in our people and our business,” Park said.
Accenture: Building an AI workforce
While trimming roles that don’t align with its future needs, Accenture is said to be aggressively expanding its AI capabilities. The company has revealed that it has doubled down on its AI and data specialists to 77,000 since 2023 and has also trained more than 550,000 employees in generative AI. “Advanced AI is becoming a part of everything we do,” Sweet said, adding that the company views AI not as “deflationary” but “expansionary.”Despite the layoffs, Accenture reported a 7% year‑on‑year revenue increase to $17.6 billion in the June–August quarter of fiscal 2025, beating estimates. Sweet said the results demonstrate Accenture’s “unique ability to deliver for clients as they seek our help to reinvent and lead with AI.”It is quite clear that Accenture’s restructuring mirrors the trend across companies. Tech giants like Meta, Microsoft and others have also cut down on traditional job roles along with ramping the AI hiring process. For white-collar professionals, the message is clear: adapt to AI or risk obsolescence.
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