Intel Layoffs 2025
It's confirmed: Intel, a key player in the Silicon Valley tech industry, is on the verge of an additional layoff, which has already sparked major concern in the technology sector. Last Tuesday, Intel disclosed another major layoff which will impact thousands of workers across different departments. Although the company has not given any numbers publicly, insiders suggest the impact can be anywhere between 10% in Intel’s workforce or up to 15% in their global workforce.
The news isn’t entirely surprising. Intel has been navigating a tough landscape for months battling a slowdown in PC sales, rising competition from AMD and Nvidia, and the broader challenges of a cooling economy. Still, for employees who dedicated years, even decades, to the company, the announcement hit hard.
Where the Cuts Are Happening
According to internal memos and reports from insiders, the layoffs are widespread but concentrated in areas like client computing, data center products, and some parts of manufacturing operations.
Why Now?
Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger has been clear: the company is in the middle of a massive transformation. It’s shifting from a traditional chipmaker to a company that designs and manufactures for others — a pivot dubbed the "IDM 2.0" strategy.
Even though these pivots may benefit the business in the long run, they come with costs to human life in the short term. The company continues to spend over $20 billion building new fabs in Germany, Ohio, and Arizona, even though these expenditures will not yield returns for a while. At the same time, demand for traditional PCs has been Intel's "golden albatross," an expensive future juxtaposed against an untapped struggling present. Gelsinger noted in an employee's letter, “These decisions are always hard but they are needed. We are making moves to set Intel up for sustained growth and premier leadership in the industry.’”
The Human Side of the Story These layoffs are not just numbers, but rather thousands of stories that include an engineer relocating their family halfway across the country or a researcher devoting their entire life into developing the next colossal invention. The pandemic has brought us to question the career we so seamlessly poured our hearts into. Intel is in the eye of the storm right now and from the looks of it, business is going down downhill. Amidst everything, employees who have been laid off are posting everywhere, out of sheer disbelief and emotion mixed with excitement for what lies ahead, only to feel a little defeated the very next moment by the panic of a jobless future. The comment section isn’t barren either, as people support each other and aid with networking.
What's Next for Intel?
Despite the grim headlines, Intel insists this is not a company in retreat — but a company rebuilding. The coming months will focus on streamlining operations, investing more heavily in AI chips, and expanding foundry services.
Analysts are watching closely. If Intel’s bet on manufacturing for outside clients like Qualcomm and MediaTek pays off, the company could emerge leaner, sharper, and more competitive by 2026.
But make no mistake: 2025 will be a year of painful transitions — both for the company and for the thousands of workers now forced to turn the page on a major chapter of their lives.