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Kyndryl confirmed on March 30, 2023, that it was eliminating “some roles globally,” describing the affected portion as a “small percentage” of its workforce. The company did not disclose a job count, countries, departments or a completion date. It said the changes were intended to improve efficiency and competitiveness, simplify processes and systems, direct investment toward customer-facing priorities and support profitable growth. Later filings show that this was not an isolated cost action: Kyndryl continued workforce-rebalancing and facilities programs through fiscal 2026 and authorized another program in May 2026.
What Kyndryl announced in March 2023
The announcement was reported by CRN on March 30, 2023, after Kyndryl confirmed that it was eliminating roles around the world. Kyndryl characterized the reduction as a small percentage of its workforce and connected it to a broader transformation effort.
Its stated objectives were to:
- Improve efficiency and competitiveness.
- Streamline and simplify processes and systems.
- Redirect investment to activities that directly benefit customers.
- Position the company for profitable growth.
The statement did not say that every country, business unit or job category would be affected. “Globally” establishes the intended scope of the announcement, not an equal reduction in every location.
How many employees lost their jobs?
Kyndryl did not disclose an exact number. CRN described the company as having approximately 90,000 employees at the time, but that figure was the approximate workforce size, not a layoff total. Turning “a small percentage” into a specific number would be an unsupported estimate.
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The public account also did not identify the affected countries, offices, functions, skills, employment levels or whether contractors were included. Individual severance terms were not disclosed.
Why Kyndryl said it was cutting roles
Kyndryl’s explanation was operational rather than a detailed list of targeted businesses. The company cited efficiency, competitiveness, simpler systems and processes, customer-focused investment and profitable growth.
Financial results provide context but do not prove that a particular group was selected because of those results. In fiscal third-quarter 2023, Kyndryl reported approximately $4.3 billion in revenue, down 6% sequentially, and a GAAP net loss of $106 million, or $0.47 per share. The comparable prior-year loss was $731 million, or $3.26 per share. Those figures indicated pressure to improve the economics of the business, while the company’s quoted rationale remained broader than declining revenue alone.
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Why the IBM separation mattered
Kyndryl was separated from IBM in late 2021 after operating as IBM’s managed infrastructure-services business. As an independent public company, it had to establish standalone corporate capabilities and reassess processes, systems, staffing and facilities inherited from IBM.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThat transition helps explain why later filings discuss both workforce rebalancing and site rationalization. Kyndryl said some inherited assets no longer provided economic benefit, leading to facility and lease actions separate from employee reductions.
The longer restructuring timeline
Kyndryl’s filings show successive programs rather than one single layoff event. Workforce-rebalancing charges are accounting costs associated with cost-reduction actions; site-rationalization charges concern facilities and leases and should not be counted as jobs eliminated.
| Fiscal period or date | Workforce action and charges | Facilities action or expected savings |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscal 2023 | $55 million in workforce-rebalancing charges | Approximately $80 million in facilities and lease-related charges |
| Fiscal 2024 | $135 million in workforce-rebalancing charges | $39 million in site-rationalization and lease-related charges |
| Fiscal 2025 | $114 million in workforce-rebalancing charges | $48 million in site-rationalization charges |
| Fiscal 2026 | Approximately $60 million in workforce-rebalancing charges | More than $100 million in expected annual payroll and related-expense reduction in fiscal 2027 |
| Program approved May 5, 2026 | Approximately $200 million in estimated charges, primarily severance and related benefits | Projected annualized operating-expense savings of approximately $400 million to $500 million in fiscal 2028 |
The fiscal 2023 figures come from Kyndryl’s fiscal 2023 Form 10-K. The fiscal 2024 through fiscal 2026 figures are described in Kyndryl’s fiscal 2026 Form 10-K.
What the May 2026 program adds
On May 5, 2026, Kyndryl approved another workforce-rebalancing program. Its May 2026 filing estimated approximately $200 million in charges and projected annualized operating-expense savings of $400 million to $500 million in fiscal 2028.
Kyndryl said implementation would vary by jurisdiction and remain subject to local employment-law and consultation requirements. The filing did not disclose how many employees would be affected. It expected implementation to be substantially complete by the end of fiscal 2027, but both the charges and savings are estimates rather than realized results.
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What “workforce rebalancing” means
Kyndryl uses “workforce rebalancing” for actions intended to improve productivity and cost competitiveness, adjust skills and address excess staffing in particular skill sets, geographies or compensation levels. The programs can include employee termination benefits, redeployment or other staffing changes; the term is broader than a single mass-layoff announcement.
That terminology is why the March 2023 event should be described both ways: “layoffs” is the accessible description of roles being eliminated, while “workforce rebalancing” is the company’s formal management and accounting label.
What remains unknown
- The number of people affected by the March 2023 announcement.
- The number affected by each later program.
- The countries, offices and business units involved.
- The balance between employees, contractors, redeployments and other staffing changes.
- The specific skills or functions targeted.
- Individual severance terms and the final completion dates in each jurisdiction.
- Whether projected savings will be achieved.
Risks behind an efficiency program
Reducing roles can lower payroll and simplify operations, but it can also remove technical knowledge, disrupt knowledge transfer, reduce service capacity and increase workloads for remaining staff. Kyndryl warns in its annual filing that workforce actions may affect its ability to attract, retain, integrate and motivate employees, as well as employee engagement and corporate culture.
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Projected savings should therefore not be treated as guaranteed benefits for customers, employees or investors. Kyndryl’s filings state that actual charges, timing and savings may differ from estimates.
Bottom line
Kyndryl did announce global role eliminations in March 2023, but it deliberately disclosed only that a small percentage of its roughly 90,000-person workforce was affected. No reliable public source in the cited record supplies an official job total or a geographic or functional breakdown. The later filings establish a multiyear effort to rebalance skills, reduce payroll and rationalize facilities after the IBM separation, including a new program approved in May 2026. They do not support combining every program into one cumulative layoff number.
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