Microsoft Plans Layoff of 5,000 employees – impact on White Center uncertain
No doubt you could have gotten this piece of news from the front cover of the New York Times or the Seattle Times. Apparently 1,400 of the initial cuts will come from the Seattle area. Here at Cafe Rozella we have quite a number of MS employees who use the cafe as their third office. The layoffs will significantly impact White Center and West Seattle. I have some calls out to some economists to give us a gauge of just how hard this will impact us. But make no mistake about it, this will have an adverse impact on Puget Sound are and White Center.
Make no mistake about it, this is bad news for Microsoft and the Seattle area. Since Microsoft got a license to print money in the mid-80s, it has never contracted. As if you needed another indication that this is not going down well, MS stock went down after the announcement. The money people view this as a portent of further ills to come. And even Ballmer, who never fails to spin a positive tale out of anything, was pretty circumspect in his outlook. Bottom line is that we are seeing a period of negative growth for Microsoft.
Tags: Microsoft layoffs
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January 22nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
I am afraid you are right… when combined with the anticipated layoffs at Boeing… there will be a major impact on our community.