Oracle has asked managers to identify which employees would be affected by a fresh round of layoffs planned for August 2026, according to reports that cited people familiar with the plans and an internal document. The company is targeting a reduction in payroll ahead of 1 September, the start of its second fiscal quarter, and some teams could see cuts in the double digits.
The reported cuts follow a large workforce reduction already recorded in Oracle’s most recent fiscal year. The company’s headcount shrank by about 21,000 people, a decline of roughly 13%, over the fiscal year ending 31 May, bringing the total to approximately 141,000. Oracle attributed the decline in part to the adoption and deployment of AI technologies and recorded $1.8 billion in restructuring charges for the year under its 2026 Restructuring Plan, with total anticipated charges of as much as $2.1 billion.
Approached for comment on the latest plan, Oracle declined to comment, according to the report. The company has not publicly confirmed the August layoff plan or disclosed how many employees could be affected.
The reported reductions come as Oracle sharply increases spending on AI infrastructure. Its capital expenditure for fiscal 2026 totalled $55.7 billion, up from $21.2 billion the year before. To fund the buildout, Oracle raised $43 billion through debt and $5 billion through equity during the year. Over the same period, its cloud infrastructure segment grew 77%, and total revenue rose 17%.
Oracle’s earlier round of layoffs in March reportedly saw more than 10,000 employees receive termination emails, with workers in the United States, India, Canada and Mexico among those affected. For staff who went through that round, the reported September timeline sets up another period of uncertainty as the company balances heavy AI investment against payroll costs.
