These layoffs are a part of this plan which the Microsoft announced in the month of January to let go 5,000 of the people, though the actions of Wednesday have added to the original number. Lou Gellos who is a spokesman for the Microsoft Corp. has said that in the ensuing 11 months from the month of January till now, they have realized that they have had to move a little beyond this 5,000, so as to put them at about 5,800. Whereas Microsoft had initially said that it would be completing this layoff program by the month of June of the year 2010, this round of the layoffs would be finishing the plan. He further said that like its usual policy, Microsoft will be regularly monitoring its size and would be making adjustments as they are needed.

This has marked the first great layoff in the history of the company. It immediately has let go of about 1,400 of its people after the cuts which were announced during January. It also made some additional cut in the month of May by saying that this round nearly completed the total of 5,000 cuts.