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Microsoft has dismissed accusations that its planned job cuts will overly affect US workers, saying that nationality will not be considered.
According to CNN, the majority of the jobs at Redmond facing cuts are held by US citizens.
Democrat senator Charles Grassley had urged Microsoft to prioritise American workers for retention, writing: "It is imperative that in implementing its layoff plan, Microsoft ensures that American workers have priority in keeping their jobs over foreign workers on visa programs."
However, in a response letter, Microsoft’s general counsel Bradford Smith wrote: “Workers on H-1B visas and other temporary work visas make up only a small percentage of our overall workforce, but they were also among the employees impacted by the reductions announced in January."
"Although they are a small percentage of our workforce, H-1B workers have long made crucial contributions to Microsoft’s innovation successes and to our ability to help create jobs in this country. We are confident this will continue to be true in the future."
