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

Global consulting firm Accenture has laid off more than 11,000 employees across the world in the past three months.

According to a TOI report published Saturday, rapid artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, coupled with slowing corporate demand, is the reason for the layoffs.

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet told analysts that the company is looking at exits as a viable option compared to reskilling its employees.


Further, she added that Accenture is aiming at restructuring efforts, and the job cuts are part of an $865 million restructuring programme.

The company is realigning its workforce with client demand for AI-driven solutions, she said.

On the sidelines, Accenture is also investing in upskilling by training its employees in agentic AI.

Accenture sees full-year 2026 revenue growth between 2% and 5%, slightly below estimates of 5.3%, according to data compiled by LSEG.

The company posted fourth-quarter revenue of $17.6 billion, beating analysts' average estimate of $17.36 billion.

On September 16, Bloomberg reported Accenture is training its more than 700,000 staffers in agentic AI. “Every new wave of technology has a time where you have to train and retool,” Sweet said. “Accenture’s core competency is to do that at scale.”