What happened
In May 2025, CEO Arvind Krishna said HR savings supported hiring in programming and sales, and described employment growth. The later annual workforce series fell: 282,200 in 2023, 270,300 in 2024 and 264,300 in 2025 for IBM and wholly owned subsidiaries.
Attribution and company response
Revenue held, staff cut. The published revenue comparison held or grew — $67.5bn in 2025, up 7.6%. This clears the tracker’s revenue screen; it does not prove AI substitution, completed departures or the absence of financial pressure.
What the figures show
WHO BENEFITS?
Payments to shareholders are documented; gains for workers from this change are not established.
- Business performance
- $67.5bn in 2025, up 7.6%
- Worker pay
- $49,630 median · 2025One year of pay data; no trend established.
- Workforce impact
- ~200 rolesMAY 2025 · Scope of the reported event, not net job losses.
- Where the money went
- $1.6bn dividendsQ4 2025 only · Reported payout; no causal link to AI established.
Two-year history · 8 quarters
Jul 2024–Jun 2026 · USD millions · 5 of 6 measures cover every quarter. Checked 2026-09-22.
Each chart uses its own scale. Financial gains do not establish gains for workers or an effect caused by AI.
| Quarter ended | Revenue | Net profit / loss | Operating cash | Cash investment (PP&E) | Buybacks paid | Dividends paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,968 | -330 | 2,881* | 286* | — | 1,543* | |
| 17,554* | 2,914* | 4,330* | 303* | — | 1,546* | |
| 14,541 | 1,055 | 4,370 | 244 | — | 1,549 | |
| 16,977 | 2,194 | 1,701* | 210* | — | 1,563* | |
| 16,331 | 1,744 | 3,082* | 255* | — | 1,569* | |
| 19,686* | 5,600* | 4,040* | 382* | — | 1,574* | |
| 15,917 | 1,216 | 5,169 | 232 | — | 1,576 | |
| 17,162 | 2,165 | 2,597* | 229* | — | 1,590* |
Consolidated company figures. Acquisitions, disposals, taxes and changes in reporting scope can affect comparisons. This series does not isolate AI effects.
* Calculated by subtracting reported periods: usually cumulative total minus the previous cumulative total, or full year minus nine months for Q4. Monday.com Q1 is half year minus Q2. Click a value for its source; click * for the subtracted period. Some calculations use different filings and may be affected by restatements. Fiscal dates differ between companies; compare the same season a year earlier.
Worker pay remains annual in the compensation table. Missing quarterly pay or headcount is not interpolated. This is financial-history coverage, not a complete assessment of who benefits.
Sources & limits
Revenue is not profit. These figures may cover different periods and do not isolate the effects of AI. Median pay includes more than salary and can change with workforce composition; it does not track raises for the same employees.
The annual decline does not isolate the effect of HR automation. The 2023 statement about roughly 7,800 roles described a hiring pause and potential future replacement, not 7,800 completed layoffs or subsequent rehires.
CEO pay derived from median × ratio.
Allocation evidence: Quarterly payout, not an annual total. Full-year free cash flow was $14.7bn; cash generation is not itself a shareholder payout. Checked 22 September 2026. Allocation source ↗
Executive pay & historical figures
Annual stock awards can make CEO pay and its ratio swing sharply. No fairness rating is assigned to this ratio.
| Year | Median employee | CEO | Named executives, avg. | CEO / median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49,630 | $38.0m* | — | 765:1 |
* Estimated from median compensation × reported ratio.
CEO pay derived from median × ratio.
Workforce and outcome context
The 2025 report separately records 8,700 workers in less-than-wholly-owned subsidiaries and 13,800 complementary FTE. These populations are separate from the main employee series.
Sources and dates
- CEO statement · Entrepreneur / WSJ · MAY 2025.
- Workforce context checked 20 September 2026. Source ↗
- Financial record: Source ↗