<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div>Vice President, JD Vance has criticized Microsoft Corp. MSFT and other tech giants for laying off American workers while heavily depending on immigrant labor through the H-1B visa program.What Happened: Speaking at a bipartisan event hosted by the Hill and Valley Forum on Wednesday, Vance questioned the ethical and economic justification of companies conducting mass layoffs while simultaneously increasing applications for employment-based visas.Check out the current price of MSFT stock here.“You see some big tech companies where they’ll lay off 9,000 workers, and then they’ll apply for a bunch of overseas visas. And I sort of wonder; that doesn’t totally make sense to me,” Vance said. While he did not specifically name Microsoft at first, he later agreed when the host mentioned it and said that he read about their mass layoffs. He quoted the president, emphasizing the need for the best and brightest to make America their home and build great companies, but criticized companies that lay off thousands of American workers and then claim they can’t find workers in America. “That displacement and that math worries me a bit….I don’t want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then to go and say, ‘We can’t find workers here in America.’ That’s a bullshit story,” said Vance.Meanwhile, Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, addressed the recent job cuts in a memo to employees on Thursday. ” I want to speak to what's been weighing heavily on me, and what I know many of you are thinking about: the recent job eliminations. These decisions are among the most difficult we have to make.”Why It Matters: Microsoft’s layoffs have been a point of contention. The company’s second round of downsizing in 2025 affected less than 4% of its workforce, or 9,000 workers. The company attributed the layoffs to cost control measures affecting various teams, geographies, and tenures. Notably, the Nadella-led company has fired over 15,000 people until now in 2025, as per CNBC.Despite these layoffs, Microsoft has been actively expanding its artificial intelligence team, reportedly hiring around two dozen employees from Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL DeepMind. This expansion has raised questions about the company’s strategic decisions amid the layoffs.In the memo, Nadella reflected on Microsoft's decade-long mission to empower every individual and organization worldwide to achieve more, and discussed how the rise of AI is reshaping that visionOn a year-to-date basis, Microsoft stock surged 22.5% while crossing the $500 mark on July 9.According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Microsoft has a growth score of 50.62% and a momentum rating of 75.79%. Click here to see how it compares to other leading tech companies.<ul> <li>Microsoft Is Betting Big On A Startup That Injects Human And Animal Waste Into Rocks To Offset 14.9M Tons Of Emissions</li> </ul>Image via Shutterstock</div></div></div>

MSFT

MSFL

MSFO

MSFD

MSFU

MSFX

MSFY

Vice President JD Vance criticized Microsoft for laying off American workers while relying on H-1B visa workers. At a bipartisan event, he questioned the ethics of mass layoffs alongside increased visa applications. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged the layoffs, stating they weigh heavily on him. The company has laid off over 15,000 employees in 2025, despite expanding its AI team. Microsoft stock has risen 22.5% year-to-date, reflecting a growth score of 50.62% and a momentum rating of 75.79%.

- Vice President JD Vance criticized Microsoft and other tech companies for laying off American workers while increasing reliance on H-1B visas for immigrant labor.  
- He questioned the ethics of mass layoffs, highlighting the contradiction of companies claiming a labor shortage after firing thousands of employees.  
- Despite the layoffs affecting 9,000 workers, Microsoft continues to expand its AI team, raising concerns about its strategic direction amidst ongoing job cuts.

Benzinga

Microsoft

GraniteShares 2x Long MSFT Daily ETF

YieldMax MSFT Option Income Strategy ETF

Direxion Daily MSFT Bear 1x Shares

Direxion Daily MSFT Bull 2X Shares

T-Rex 2X Long Microsoft Daily Target ETF

Kurv Yield Premium Strategy Microsoft MSFT ETF

JD Vance Slams Microsoft For Firing Americans, Relying on H-1B Workers: Satya Nadella Says Layoffs Are 'Weighing Heavily' On Him