Microsoft to Cut Up to 7,800 Jobs, Mostly in Its Phones Unit

SEATTLE — Microsoft announced a major new round of layoffs Wednesday as it seeks to cut costs further in a shifting technology landscape.þþThe company said it would eliminate up to 7,800 jobs worldwide — more than 6 percent of its work force — with most of the cuts coming in its phone business. At the end of March, Microsoft had more than 118,000 employees.þþSatya Nadella, who became Microsoft’s chief executive early last year, also announced on Wednesday that the company would restructure its phone business. As a result, it will take an impairment charge of about $7.6 billion related to its acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone business. It will also take a restructuring charge of $750 million to $850 million.þþ“I am committed to our first-party devices including phones,” Mr. Nadella said. “However, we need to focus our phone efforts in the near term while driving reinvention.”þþ