ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment maker, has announced plans to cut around 1,700 jobs, even as it continues to post record revenues. The company said the move is part of a restructuring effort aimed at reducing organisational complexity and speeding up innovation.
The layoffs will impact nearly 4% of ASML’s global workforce of about 44,000 employees and will mainly affect technology and IT teams. The decision comes shortly after ASML reported its 13th consecutive year of sales growth, driven largely by demand for its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines.
These advanced machines are critical for manufacturing cutting-edge chips used in AI data centres, smartphones and high-performance computing systems.
ASML’s leadership has stressed that the job cuts are not linked to weakening demand. Instead, the company says it has become too complex over time. In an official statement, chief executive Christophe Fouquet said the goal is to remove bureaucracy and refocus on engineering, so that “engineers can be engineers again”.
As part of the restructuring, ASML plans to move away from a project-heavy, matrix-style setup. The new approach will align engineers more closely with specific products and modules, with the aim of improving speed and productivity.
Chief financial officer Roger Dassen echoed this view, describing ASML as a “complex organisation” where too much time is lost on coordination and internal processes. “We want to make sure engineers can be engineers again,” he said, adding that the changes are meant to accelerate innovation across teams.
The decision comes even as demand for AI-related chips continues to surge. Customers such as TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix rely heavily on ASML’s EUV systems. The company has repeatedly said that AI represents a long-term structural shift in the semiconductor industry, not a short-term trend.
ASML’s move also reflects a broader wave of job cuts across the global tech sector. Amazon has announced plans to reduce about 16,000 corporate roles. Microsoft has eliminated more than 15,000 positions across 2025 and early 2026 as it reallocates spending towards AI infrastructure. Meta has cut roughly 1,500 roles in its Reality Labs unit.
In India, Tata Consultancy Services is moving ahead with plans to cut around 12,000 jobs, while Pinterest has announced layoffs affecting about 15% of its workforce, or roughly 700 to 800 employees.
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