Accenture’s layoff tally surpasses 11,000; CEO Julie Sweet cites AI, restructuring efforts

🎯 Impact Sentiment: Concerning

📋 Summary

• Accenture has laid off over 11,000 employees globally in the last three months, as part of an $865 million restructuring program.
• CEO Julie Sweet pointed to rapid AI adoption and slowing corporate demand as the primary drivers of these job cuts.
• The company is choosing workforce reductions over reskilling in many cases, but is also training more than 70,000 staff in agentic AI.
• Accenture's anticipated revenue growth for 2026 is projected at 2% to 5%, slightly below expectations, despite stronger-than-forecast fourth-quarter revenue.

💡 JR Insights

• 💼 Implication: Accenture is aggressively pivoting its business towards AI-led services, but this shift is coming at the direct expense of thousands of traditional roles—especially for employees whose skills aren't considered adaptable to the company's new direction.
• 🚨 Risk: Job stability at large consulting firms—even those with strong AI ambitions—is far from guaranteed. If you're not actively upskilling in AI or related areas, your position could be vulnerable in future restructuring cycles.
• ✨ Takeaway: Don’t count on loyalty or legacy skill sets to protect your job. If you’re in consulting, get hands-on with AI tools now. Proactively seek training or projects with an AI component, or risk getting left behind when companies make these tough calls.