Accenture cuts 11,000 jobs as it looks to reskill workforce with AI

Accenture has reportedly reduced its global headcount by more than 11,000 over the past three months and has launched a six‑month, $865 million restructuring programme to realign the business around artificial intelligence (AI).

Chief executive Julie Sweet has said in media reports that the firm has been “exiting” people on a compressed timetable where reskilling has not been viable for the skills Accenture needs.

Headcount has fallen while AI investment has accelerated

Accenture has reported that its workforce has declined from about 791,000 at the end of May to 779,000 at the end of August 2025, a net reduction of just over 11,000 roles in the quarter.

The company has detailed $615 million in severance charges in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 and expects a further $250 million in the current quarter, bringing the total restructuring costs to $865 million. Accenture has said savings will be redirected to training and operations as it expands AI‑led services.

Julie Sweet told analysts that Accenture has been “exiting, on a compressed timeline, people where reskilling is not a viable path” for the capabilities the firm requires. At the same time, the company has said it intends to keep hiring in priority areas and expects overall headcount to grow in the next fiscal year.

Accenture has said it has trained more than 550,000 employees on the fundamentals of generative AI and has built a cohort of roughly 77,000 AI and data specialists, underscoring the pivot toward advanced analytics and automation across client work.

Financials have remained resilient amid the reset

Alongside the workforce changes, Accenture has reported a 7% rise in annual revenue to about $69.7 billion and $21.3 billion in new bookings, while cautioning that growth has been set to slow to 2–5% in the coming year.

Accenture framed the reductions as part of a broader shift to deliver AI‑enabled services at scale. Management has said weaker demand for some consulting work and reduced US federal spending have weighed on parts of the business, prompting a rebalancing towards roles and skills aligned with AI programmes.

For clients, Accenture has emphasised continuity, pointing to investment in training and “reinvention” offerings that knit AI into cloud, data and industry platforms. For staff, the company has continued large‑scale upskilling while confirming that employees who cannot be redeployed into AI‑adjacent roles have been asked to leave.