Microsoft to lay off 11k employees
11,000 people - let's say an average loaded cost of $250k/yr.  That's... ~$3b/yr these folks cost MSFT.  Granted, it's per year, but ... keeping these people on for another 3 years would cost ~$10b.<p>MSFT currently have $100b cash on hand.  It's gotta be a little... frustrating to get be part of a 5% cut when there's so much free cash sitting around.  I know, it's a narrow view of corporate finance, and I don't have the 'big picture', but... still doesn't sit right with me.<p>That said, I don't know what severance packages people are being offered.  That might help soften the blow for some folks.<p>EDIT: re one reply about people earning $250k.  I indicated 'loaded cost' - health insurance, likely some cost of options/stock, retirement matching, FICA and more.  I possibly could have removed 'average'.  I suspect many of the folks being cut have on paper salaries (well?) below $200k.  Is the 11k number global or US only?  Round the number down to $200k.  It's closed to $2.2b/year then.