Cisco Cuts Fewer Than 4,000 Jobs in Q4, Announces Cisco Layoffs
Cisco said it will reduce its overall workforce in Q4 by fewer than 4,000 jobs as part of its Cisco layoffs plan, with most notifications set to begin globally on May 14. The company said the reductions amount to less than 5 percent of its total employee base and will be handled in line with local laws and regulations.
The company paired the workforce cut with Q3 FY26 results showing record revenue of $15.8 billion, up 12 percent year over year. Cisco said it is making changes while investing in silicon, optics, security, and employees’ use of AI across the company.
Cisco Q3 FY26 results
Cisco’s announcement tied the job reductions to a quarter in which it reported $15.8 billion in revenue. The company said the revenue figure marked 12 percent year-over-year growth, giving the layoffs a direct financial and operational backdrop instead of a stand-alone cost cut.
Cisco also said it is shifting investment toward areas where demand and long-term value creation are strongest. In its own terms, those areas include silicon, optics, security, and employee use of AI.
May 14 notifications
Most affected employees will begin receiving notifications on May 14, and Cisco said the process will continue globally as local laws and regulations require. The company said impacted employees will receive pro-rated payment of FY26 bonuses.
Cisco also said it will give affected employees one year of access to all Cisco U courses and certifications. That package gives workers a defined transition window while the company executes a cut that stays below 5 percent of its workforce.
Cisco Beat May 21
Cisco said it will discuss the changes and answer questions at the Cisco Beat on May 21 at 8 a.m. PT. The company also said its placement services have seen 75 percent of participants discover their next role.
That leaves employees with two concrete markers: notification beginning May 14 and a company discussion scheduled for May 21 at 8 a.m. PT. Those are the next stated steps in a process that affects fewer than 4,000 jobs and reaches across Cisco’s global workforce.
