Microsoft has begun laying off around 6,000 workers across all levels, teams, and geographies.

The cuts, which amount to about three percent of the company's total staff, also impact its Azure cloud division. Microsoft said that the layoffs were not performance-based, but in some cases were aimed at reducing layers of management.

“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company for success in a dynamic marketplace,” Microsoft said in a statement.

Around 650 of the cuts hit Microsoft's Xbox division, while LinkedIn also saw heavy layoffs.

The exact number of Azure roles lost is unclear, but social media posts from departing workers include software engineers and workers in networking, data, and infrastructure.

Last quarter, Microsoft reported strong profits that beat Wall Street expectations for a fourth quarter in a row as it continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence.

The company plans to spend some $80 billion on data centers this year, despite reports of Microsoft pulling back from some leases.