Barney's Blog

Blog archive

Microsoft in the Pink

Rumors continue to swirl that thousands of Redmond-ites may soon become ex-Redmond-ites. Some say as many as 15,000 Microsoft employees may soon be flooding the tech market with freshly tuned resumes.

My take? Microsoft can still be highly efficient and productive with a smaller workforce. After all, it's an aggressive capitalist enterprise; competition is in its DNA.

So the question is: If Microsoft and others can run fine with smaller budgets and workforces, why can't government -- local, state or federal -- do the same thing? Seems odd to me that as tax revenues fall and the economy contracts, government's answer is to grow larger. As an economics major, I understand the multiplier effect, but this still makes no logical sense.

How would you solve our economic mess? Is massive debt/stimulation the answer? Right- and left-wing answers equally welcome at [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on January 19, 2009


Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.