Protocol first reported that Salesforce was preparing for a major round of layoffs that could affect as many as 2,500 employees.
However, the company told media outlets that the job losses affected “less than a thousand” employees.
The enterprise software maker confirmed earlier this week that it had laid off employees.
“Our sales performance process drives accountability. Unfortunately, that could lead to some leaving the company, and we’re supporting them in their transition,” the company said in a statement.
The company had 73,541 people on its payroll earlier this year.
In August, Salesforce said in a filing that its workforce increased by 36 percent in the past year “to meet the increased demand for services from our customers.”
According to Protocol, Salesforce previously laid off about 90 contract workers and implemented a staff freeze until January 2023.
“Investors are increasingly demanding higher returns from Salesforce, which has always guided its profits toward growth, including spending billions to acquire companies like Slack and Tableau,” the report said.
Salesforce is also reportedly under pressure from activist investor Starboard.
Microsoft, one of Salesforce’s biggest competitors in business software, announced a series of job cuts in October this year.
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