U. S.
Senator Bernie Sanders has criticized Microsoft following the company's announcement of thousands of job cuts and a price increase for its Xbox gaming consoles.
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Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman confirmed the elimination of 4,800 positions, roughly 2.1% of the global workforce.
About 3,200 of those cuts will hit the Xbox division, with 1,600 workers affected immediately and the remaining 1,600 phased out over the next year.
In a post on X, Sanders highlighted Microsoft's $101 billion profit last year, a $12.5 billion tax break under the Trump administration, and a $96 million CEO pay package.
He contrasted that with the company's decision to raise Xbox prices by $150 and cut 3,200 jobs.
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“Please don’t tell me corporate tax breaks create jobs. It never trickles down,” Sanders wrote.
The senator's remarks align with broader scrutiny of corporate beneficiaries of federal tax policies.
He previously alleged an $8 billion tax break allowed Meta to have a negative 23% quarterly tax rate.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has also targeted Amazon's tax benefits, calling a tax break equivalent to 100,000 years of median household income.
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Microsoft shares closed down 0.96% at $386.74 on Monday before rising 1.40% to $392.16 in premarket trading Tuesday.
