Hong Kong, December 20: Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi may lay off workers from multiple departments, as it aims to reduce 15 per cent of its workforce amid the rough global macroeconomic conditions and local Covid-19 lockdowns, the South China Morning Post reported.

The report cited several social media posts by affected Xiaomi employees and local Chinese media reports. Xiaomi had 35,314 employees as of September 30, with more than 32,000 in mainland China. Layoffs Season: Why Meta, Twitter, Amazon, Other Tech Companies Laying Off Employees All At Once and Why Experts Believe the Worst Is Yet To Come.

The extent of the lay-offs is unknown and "Xiaomi declined to comment", according to the report that came out late on Monday. According to a report by Chinese media outlet Jiemian, Xiaomi will cut jobs in several units of its smartphone and internet services business.

Gizmo China reported that some departments have seen layoffs of up to 75 per cent, while others have had around 40 per cent of their teams cut. China's social media platforms, including Weibo, Xiaohongshu and Maimai, have been flooded with posts about the reported Xiaomi job cuts. Tech Layoffs: upGrad Denies Reports That It Is Planning to Layoff Hundreds of Employees.

The news of the layoffs comes as Xiaomi's financial performance has been under pressure in 2022. The Beijing-based tech giant started laying off workers this year amid weaker sales due to Covid-19 lockdowns in China and slower consumer spending. It is estimated that the number of layoffs in this round may reach 6,000.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2022 10:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).