'Despite these difficult decisions, we continue focused efforts to empower our employees and attract, develop and retain talent'
Dell Technologies has slashed its global workforce by nearly a fifth over the past two years, shedding 25,000 roles as part of a broad effort to streamline operations and manage costs.
In its annual 10-K filing released this week, the Texas-based tech company disclosed a headcount of roughly 108,000 employees as of January 31, 2025.
That marks a 10% decline from the 120,000 employees reported a year earlier, according to Business Insider. Two years ago, in February 2023, Dell employed 133,000 people — making the total reduction since then a significant 19%.
“Throughout Fiscal 2025, we remained committed to disciplined cost management in coordination with our ongoing business modernization initiatives and continued to take certain measures to reduce costs, including limitation of external hiring, employee reorganizations, and other actions to align our investments with our announced strategic and customer priorities,” the company wrote in the filing.
“These actions resulted in a reduction in our overall headcount. Despite these difficult decisions, we continue focused efforts to empower our employees and attract, develop, and retain talent.”
The workforce cuts have come alongside a series of controversial return-to-office (RTO) policies and internal restructuring moves, said Business Insider. Dell’s sales team underwent a major shake-up in August, which included layoffs.
While the company did not specify the number of positions affected, it attributed the reorganization to preparations for “the world of AI.”
Throughout 2024, Dell implemented progressive RTO mandates, culminating in a January directive requiring all employees living within a 90-minute commute of an office to work onsite full-time. The mandates have generated discontent among some staff, especially after Dell asked employees in early 2024 to declare themselves as either remote or hybrid workers, according to the media report.
Around half of Dell’s full-time U.S. workforce opted to stay remote — despite being told that doing so could impact their career progression. Multiple staffers told Business Insider that the mandates had prompted them to seek opportunities elsewhere.
"Through an ongoing series of actions, we are becoming a leaner company. We are combining teams and prioritizing where we invest across the company," Dell told Business Insider.
Amid broader industry cutbacks in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, Dell has reaffirmed its commitment to such programs.
“At Dell Technologies, we believe wide-ranging perspectives are powerful,” the company said in the filing. “We believe that a workforce diverse in experience and background drives innovation and growth.”
Despite revenue climbing 8% in fiscal 2024, Dell’s share price has dipped by 15% so far this year.
Meanwhile, Dell CEO Michael Dell has faced a financial hit amid the company’s volatile performance. According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, his personal net worth has plummeted by $16.6 billion in 2025 — second only to Elon Musk in year-to-date losses.
