Accenture, the Irish-American professional services firm, is preparing to axe about 890 jobs in its Irish operations. That means, about 13 per cent of the 6,500-strong workforce in the country will be let go. No other layoffs in Ireland’s IT sector have been this big in recent times.
Accenture had grabbed headlines in March 2023 when it had announced its decision to let go of 19,000 people from its global workforce, that is, about 2.5 per cent of its total workforce. The layoff was to take place in phases, over a period of a year and a half. The move was part of a cost-cutting exercise and also as a remedial measure for overhiring. The announcement had made many of its Indian employees insecure, as about 40 per cent of the company’s global team is based out of India. The company had not revealed the names of those who will be let go either, adding to the uncertainty and anxiety. At the time, Accenture had also said it would delay the joining of freshers for up to a year, as it would not require their services for some time.
However, the layoffs in Ireland do not imply that Accenture’s business is weak. In fact, the firm maintains that business is going strong in Ireland.
Interestingly, the unemployment rate in Ireland is at a record low. It was only 3.8 per cent in May. This is probably because jobs have increased in the country’s information and communication technologies space, by 2.7 per cent.
