Microsoft-owned LinkedIn outlined plans to axe 668 jobs across its engineering, product, talent and finance teams, adding to tens of thousands of cuts in the technology sector this year.

In a statement, the social media company explained “talent changes are a difficult but necessary and regular part of managing our business”, as it announced the axe of around 3 per cent of its global workforce which stands at approximately 20,000.

“While we’re adapting our organisation structures and streamlining our decision making, we are continuing to invest in strategic priorities for our future and to ensure we continue to deliver value for our members and customers,” the company said.

All impacted employees will be given “full support” during the transition, it added.

Reuters cited figures from employment company Challenger, Gray and Christmas which claims more than 141,000 staff across the tech sector have been laid off in the first half of the year, compared to 6,000 in H1 2022.

LinkedIn itself cut 716 jobs in May across sales, operations and support as part of a wider plan to streamline operations and remove layers to quicken decision making.