Oracle Announces Significant Washington State Layoffs

Oracle, a leading global technology company specializing in cloud computing, announced layoffs affecting 491 employees in Washington State on Tuesday. The majority of these job cuts will impact workers at Oracle’s two offices located in downtown Seattle.

Impact and Company Response

According to Oracle, headquartered in Austin, Texas, the Seattle offices will remain open despite the reductions. The company characterized the layoffs as a “reduction in force and other terminations.”

Shift in Investment Focus

Oracle is simultaneously increasing its investment in artificial intelligence (AI). This strategic shift appears to be a driving factor behind the restructuring and subsequent job cuts. The company employs 162,000 full-time employees globally, as of May 2025.

Financial Performance and Recent Cuts

Despite the layoffs, Reuters reported that Oracle’s shares rose more than 5% in afternoon trading. However, the stock remains down approximately 29% for the year to date.

Previous Seattle Layoffs

These layoffs follow a previous round of cuts in September 2025, which affected 161 Seattle-based employees. This brings the total number of Seattle-based Oracle layoffs in 2025 to 262. The recent cuts specifically impacted workers within the cloud computing department.

The move aligns with a trend among major tech companies to curtail spending as they navigate the substantial costs associated with developing AI infrastructure.