Salesforce is planning to reduce its staff numbers by 10 percent, laying off around 8,000 workers, the commercial software company announced Wednesday. CEO Marc Benioff also said the company would reduce its office space amid gloomy economic trends that have broadsided the tech industry in recent months. “The environment remains challenging and our customers are taking a more measured approach to their purchasing decisions,” Benioff wrote in a letter to employees, according to The New York Times. Benioff added that the cuts would come “mostly over the coming weeks.” “I’ve been thinking a lot about how we came to this moment,” he wrote. “As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that.” Benioff said those who are being let go aren’t just colleagues: “They’re friends. They’re family.”
