Microsoft's Layoffs and H-1B Visa Dependence Criticized by JD Vance

JD Vance criticizes Microsoft for laying off American workers while relying on H-1B visas. Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, said layoffs are weighing heavily on him. The company has laid off over 15,000 people in 2025 despite expanding its AI team by hiring from Alphabet's DeepMind. Vance questioned the ethics and economic justification of companies conducting mass layoffs while increasing applications for overseas visas.

US Vice President JD Vance has publicly criticized Microsoft for laying off 9,000 American workers while continuing to seek H-1B visas. The vice president's comments, made in a viral video, highlight the growing scrutiny over the tech giant's workforce decisions. Microsoft's recent layoffs, totaling over 15,000 employees in 2025, have sparked concerns about the company's reliance on the H-1B visa program for skilled labor.

Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, addressed the layoffs in an employee memo, stating that the decisions "weigh heavily" on him. The company has expanded its AI team by hiring approximately 24 employees from Alphabet Inc.'s DeepMind division. Despite the layoffs, Microsoft has continued to seek H-1B visas, with the company filing 9,491 applications in the previous fiscal year, all of which were approved [1].

Vance questioned the ethics and economic logic behind mass layoffs followed by increased applications for employment-based visas. "We want the brightest minds to make America their home," he said, "but we don't want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then say we can't find workers here in America. That's a bullshit story." The vice president's comments come amid growing scrutiny of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations [2].

The debate over the H-1B visa program has exposed a rift within the Republican Party, with populist conservatives arguing that the visas displace American workers and pro-business factions supporting the program to fill critical talent gaps. As pressure mounts on companies like Microsoft, the debate highlights growing tension over the future of high-skilled immigration in the U.S. economy [3].

References:
[1] https://www.financialexpress.com/life/technology-i-dont-want-companies-us-vice-president-slams-microsoft-for-firing-9000-americans-while-still-going-for-h-1b-visas-3925204/
[2] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dan-ives-calls-microsoft-scottie-013109253.html
[3] https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-issues-warning-h1-b-visa-immigration-2103296