As layoffs continue to sweep across Big Tech, from Amazon to Oracle, a resurfaced case involving IBM is now drawing fresh scrutiny around offshoring and workforce restructuring.
A viral post on X has reignited the conversation, framing IBM’s recent moves as part of a broader shift in how tech companies are redistributing jobs globally. The post bluntly states, “Cut here. Hire there. It’s not just H1-B and OPT. They’re offshoring too,” before laying out what it calls a case study of IBM’s workforce changes.
According to the post, IBM cut around 9,000 US workers, particularly in its Cloud Classic division. It claims that during the notice period, some employees were asked to train their replacements in India, with the risk of losing severance if they refused. One employee, as quoted in the post, said his cloud architecture role was being “globally optimized” and that he was given until the second quarter to document processes for a Bengaluru-based team. When he explored internal transfer options, he was reportedly told, “I can only hire in India.”
Separate reports also indicate that IBM has indeed carried out significant layoffs in the United States, with roughly 9,000 employees affected, including close to 10 percent of its broader cloud division in March 2025. The cuts have largely impacted the company’s legacy Cloud Classic infrastructure unit, along with consulting, sales, and IT teams. The restructuring is widely seen as part of a strategic shift to move certain roles to India, with several employees echoing the phrase “globally optimized” in describing how the changes were communicated. In some cases, workers were also asked to transition responsibilities to India-based teams before exiting.
READ: Oracle layoffs 2026: 30,000 jobs cut, H-1B visa holders face race against time (April 2, 2026)
The X post further points to hiring patterns to support its argument. It claims that IBM had just 173 open positions in India in January 2024, a figure that reportedly jumped to 3,866 by early 2025, while US listings during the same period remained under 400. It also states that IBM’s workforce now stands at roughly 135,000 employees in India compared to about 43,000 in the U.S., highlighting the sharp cost differences between the two markets. “The median tech salary in India is $22,000. In the U.S. it is $150,000. That is an 85% discount on the same work,” the post notes.
Citing a Blind survey of 2,392 verified tech professionals, the post adds that 52% said their companies plan to increase hiring in India in 2026, while 38% believe those roles are directly replacing US positions.
The post also draws a distinction with Oracle’s layoffs, noting, “Some will point out that Oracle cut 12,000 workers in India too. That’s true. Oracle is cutting everywhere to fund a $156B AI buildout. That is a different story.” It goes on to argue, “IBM is not cutting everywhere. IBM is cutting the U.S. and growing India. 9,000 out here. 3,000+ added there. That is not restructuring. That is relocation.”
READ: Viral post claims Meta’s AI strategy on hiring, productivity and layoffs goes global (March 31, 2026)
Zooming out, the post claims this is part of a wider trend across the industry, alleging that companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, and eBay are increasingly following a similar playbook by trimming U.S. headcount while expanding offshore teams.
It concludes with a broader concern about the U.S. job market, claiming that computer science graduates are now facing 7% unemployment, “the fifth highest of any college major, higher than philosophy, higher than art history, higher than journalism.”
While not all claims in the viral post have been independently verified, the underlying trend it points to is becoming harder to ignore. As tech companies continue to balance costs, talent pools, and AI investments, the shift toward global workforce redistribution is emerging as one of the defining stories of the industry right now.