Microsoft Debunks Viral Layoff Rumors: Executive Calls 22,000 Job Cut Claims 'Made Up'

• A senior Microsoft executive has denied viral claims of large-scale layoffs affecting up to 22,000 roles.
• Speculation began with a TipRanks report suggesting job cuts in Azure, Xbox, and global sales, linking them to AI investment costs.
• Microsoft's Chief Communications Officer, Frank X. Shaw, publicly dismissed the report as "100 percent made up / speculative / wrong" on social media.
• The claims were also challenged by Windows Central editor Jez Corden regarding Xbox.
• This incident follows confirmed workforce reductions by Microsoft in early July 2025, where approximately 9,000 employees were laid off.