Over the past three months, consulting giant Accenture layoffs or has cut more than 11,000 jobs globally. The leadership says this is part of an $865 million restructuring plan aimed at reshaping the workforce for an AI-led future. CEO Julie Sweet told analysts that the company is “exiting people on a compressed timeline where reskilling is not a viable path for the skills we need.” Many of those affected were employees whose roles don’t align with Accenture evolving client focus.
At the end of August, Accenture global workforce stood at around 779,000, down from 791,000 a few months earlier. The company expects these layoffs to continue through November 2025 as it pivots aggressively toward AI capabilities. The cuts are expected to save over $1 billion. While trimming staff, Accenture is also investing in training around “agentic AI”. Tools designed to automate complex decision making and workflows. Leadership views this as essential to meeting client demand, since businesses worldwide are rushing to reimagine operations through AI.
Despite the upheaval, Accenture revenue for June August rose 7 percent year over year to $17.6 billion, exceeding forecasts. CEO Sweet said that these results underscore Accenture’s capacity to lead clients through AI transformation. Moreover, Accenture’s scale amplifies what many tech firms already face: the accelerating shift from human labour to AI-driven services. In particular, companies that rely heavily on legacy roles (such as data entry, basic analysis, and process work) are most vulnerable now. On the other hand, firms that retool quickly by offering training in advanced AI and promoting hybrid human-machine workflows stand a far greater chance to survive.
Workers in roles now deemed obsolete will need to adapt rapidly. Reskilling or moving toward AI oversight, prompt engineering, strategy roles or creative problem solving could be the only ticket to staying relevant. This moment is a wake-up call: AI is not a tool anymore. It a disruptive force. The companies and professionals that understand that, fast, will thrive.
