Alibaba says hiring 15,000 people, refutes job cut reports
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Alibaba characterised reports of layoffs as rumours and said employee departures are part of the “normal flow”.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SHANGHAI – Alibaba Group Holding said it plans to hire 15,000 people in 2023, pushing back on reports that the Chinese technology firm is laying off employees.
In a statement released on Weibo on Thursday, the Chinese e-commerce platform said its “six major business divisions will need to hire 15,000 new recruits in total”. The company said it will recruit 3,000 university graduates.
It characterised the reports of layoffs
Bloomberg News reported earlier this week that Alibaba’s cloud division has begun a round of job cuts that could reduce its workforce by about 7 per cent.
The company is offering severance packages or transfers to other parts of the Alibaba empire as it prepares the fast-growing cloud unit for a spin-off and an eventual initial public offering.
The e-commerce giant has said it is pursuing a six-way split of its operations as it adapts to slower growth under intensified regulatory scrutiny in the Chinese technology industry. Alibaba Cloud, one of the biggest divisions, is joining the Cainiao logistics division and international commerce in pursuing independent fund raising and potential listings.
Alibaba chief executive officer Daniel Zhang outlined details of the historic shake-up for the first time earlier in May. The group, which does not detail the headcount at separate units, employed more than 235,000 people as at March.
Alibaba on Thursday pointed to its recruiting system as evidence that the company is still hiring.
“We have never stopped recruiting and cultivating outstanding talents,” the company said in its statement.
Alibaba shares fell about 3 per cent in United States trading on Thursday. BLOOMBERG
