Oracle is reportedly preparing for 7,000–10,000 job cuts as early as Sept. 1–15 under an AI-driven restructuring that spans teams worldwide including India, following a headcount decline to about 141,000 from 162,000 a year earlier. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure revenue jumped 77% to $18.1 billion with $638 billion in remaining performance obligations, but heavy data‑centre investment led to negative free cash flow of $23.7 billion and $1.8 billion in restructuring charges (potentially $2.1 billion), pressuring ORCL shares (closed $149.12 on Aug. 31; premarket ~ $146.51 Sept. 1) and creating near-term risk for crypto and DeFi adoption, CEX/DEX infrastructure, security and token launches ahead of mid‑September earnings.

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Oracle could be preparing for another major round of layoffs, with as many as 10,000 jobs potentially at risk worldwide.

Internal estimates reportedly put the potential impact at between 7,000 and 10,000 employees, according to Moneycontrol. India, where Oracle maintains major engineering, cloud, support and technology operations, could be among the regions affected. Oracle has not confirmed the reported cuts or their scale.

Oracle Layoffs Could Come in September

Employees have reportedly been told to prepare for possible action in early or mid-September. Sept. 1 previously circulated as a potential date, but Sept. 15 is now also being discussed.

Unlike a restructuring focused on one division, teams across Oracle have reportedly been asked to find ways to reduce spending, which potentially puts positions across multiple functions at risk.

Any new layoffs would follow an already dramatic reduction in Oracle's workforce. The company reported approximately 141,000 full-time employees as of May 31, 2026, down from roughly 162,000 a year earlier.

Oracle also explicitly acknowledged the role of AI in its restructuring. Its latest annual filing states that the adoption and deployment of AI technologies have already resulted in workforce reductions and could lead to further cuts.

Oracle recorded $1.8 billion in restructuring expenses during fiscal 2026 and estimates its current restructuring plan could ultimately cost as much as $2.1 billion.

AI Boom Creates a Cost Dilemma for Oracle

What makes the potential layoffs particularly interesting is the extraordinary growth of Oracle's AI cloud business.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure revenue surged 77% during fiscal 2026 to $18.1 billion, while the company's remaining performance obligations climbed to $638 billion, largely driven by major AI contracts. However, aggressive data-center investment contributed to negative free cash flow of $23.7 billion for the year.

Oracle fiscal 2026 earnings

Oracle has even said AI coding tools are allowing it to restructure development teams into smaller groups that can produce more software with fewer employees.

The uncertainty is also weighing on Oracle stock. ORCL closed Aug. 31 at $149.12, down 1.15% for the session. Premarket trading on Sept. 1 showed shares falling another 1.75% to about $146.51.

Oracle stock price (Source: CoinCodex)

Investors will now be watching Oracle's next earnings update in mid-September for clues about restructuring, AI spending and whether the reported layoffs become official.

Read the article at Coinpaper