Salesforce eliminated fewer than 1,000 positions this month as the cloud software company continues its shift toward artificial intelligence. The reductions affected marketing, product management, data analytics, and the Agentforce AI product group, according to Business Insider reports.
The cuts represent Salesforce's latest workforce adjustment following CEO Marc Benioff's August 2025 disclosure that the company had removed 4,000 customer support roles, reducing that staff from approximately 9,000 to about 5,000 employees.
Benioff explained those earlier reductions by stating "I need less heads" as AI systems handle more customer interactions.
Salesforce employees confirmed the layoffs through LinkedIn posts and direct conversations with Business Insider. The company has not issued an official statement about the February job reductions.
These workforce changes coincide with executive leadership transitions at Salesforce. Since December, five senior leaders have announced departures while the company promoted six executives to senior positions. The restructuring suggests a strategic realignment around AI capabilities.
Agentforce, Salesforce's autonomous AI agent platform launched in 2024, sits at the center of this transformation. Benioff has described the technology as "the core of every product we make now" and "part and parcel of Salesforce." The platform enables businesses to deploy automated bots for routine tasks, reducing manual workload.
Despite the job cuts, Salesforce raised its fiscal 2026 revenue and profit forecasts in December. The company cited strong demand for its AI offerings from enterprise customers as the basis for the improved outlook.
Salesforce is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings on February 25. Investors will watch for details on how the company balances cost reductions with continued AI investment.
The workforce reductions follow Salesforce's January 2023 announcement that it would eliminate approximately 10% of its workforce, roughly 8,000 employees. Benioff described those cuts as necessary corrections after pandemic-era overhiring.
Salesforce's moves reflect trends across enterprise technology. Companies including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and SAP have all announced workforce restructuring plans while increasing AI development investments.
The company's operating margins expanded from roughly 17% in fiscal 2023 to more than 30% in fiscal 2025, according to Business Insider analysis. This profitability improvement followed pressure from activist investors including Elliott Management, Starboard Value, and ValueAct Capital, as detailed in WebProNews reporting.
For affected employees, Salesforce typically offers severance packages including several months of pay and continued benefits. However, displaced workers face a competitive job market as multiple technology companies implement similar workforce reductions.
The February cuts demonstrate Salesforce's continued commitment to AI-driven efficiency, with the company scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings on February 25.
