SAS headcount peaked around 14,500. Several sources report a figure of “over 14,000” as late as 2020.
Recent sources agree that headcount is now around 12,000. That would be a loss of around 2,500.
Of that total, how many do you believe were laid off, took a VRBP, or left for other reasons?
it's a site about layoffs. I suppose that mainly matters to the affected individuals, and one may idly and helplessly wonder how many others were also affected. for them or for people who would like to see some more success or just wonder how the story now goes on, it's also one hypothetical (since nobody knows the answer but idle speculation and answers have some reasoning that seems easy to follow - despite somebody's rants about how internet comments can have no validity or logic by virtue of commenters being anonymous) indicator in the overall picture of company health
Why does the number of people who’ve been laid off matter?
After the 350 in China, can we agree that at least 1,000 have been laid off?
Probably at least 1,000 resigned, and nearly 1,000 took buyouts.
The 4th category, the “stealth layoffs”, includes people who were offered severance and told that bad things would happen if they did not take it.
This happens to Principals “no longer producing at their level”, to managers whose management position is “no longer needed”, and to a few others who made bad enemies and got pushed out.
I know half a dozen people in this category. There may be a few dozen, or a few hundred.
Does anyone have better estimates?
No secret love children were pushed out.
@3gx+1js7r515a No, not that I have heard. These are just a way of shrinking the company.
Recently, several middle managers in R&D got pushed out. The employees were not told they were fired; they had done nothing wrong. SAS just eliminated their positions to cut costs.
@3gt+1js7r515a Let me guess. Trumped up charge sheet.
@3g3+1js7r515a These personnel changes are not called firings, when they are not the fault of the employee.
SAS created too many Principals, and too many middle managers. So they are eliminating these positions.
Some companies call these changes layoffs. Others just say, your position has been eliminated.
@3g3+1js7r515a Some of them were fired. Others were offered lesser positions, at lower salaries. I know people in both categories.
@3fy+1js7r515a That is called being fired. Not the same and not a “stealth layoff”.
You might count 1,000 laid off if you include all the “stealth layoffs”.
People were told they were no longer performing at their level, or that their management position was no longer needed. This practice has been ongoing for years.
These people didn’t quit voluntarily; they were required to take a demotion, or leave. Some were not offered the choice.
We could call these “stealth layoffs”, or perhaps we need a fourth category.
I would be pretty surprised if layoff number is anywhere remotely close to 1000
“I expect it’s split roughly in thirds — ~1,000 voluntary retirements, ~1,000 quit, and ~1,000 laid off.”
I’m not 100% certain, but I think the total departures from the 2018 and 2021 VRBPs exceeded 1000.
I expect it’s split roughly in thirds — ~1,000 voluntary retirements, ~1,000 quit, and ~1,000 laid off.
Does anyone know better?
“ Counting the most recent buyout and layoffs, SAS has lost nearly 3,000 people from its peak. But apparently this person believes that SAS is not continuously laying off. ”
Way to move the goalposts.. continuous layoffs does not include voluntary retirement or quitting.
Counting the most recent buyout and layoffs, SAS has lost nearly 3,000 people from its peak. But apparently this person believes that SAS is not continuously laying off.
“continuous layoffs”
You are delusional.
Is this the same person repeatedly posting unrelated URLs over and over again?
Do you think anyone actually opens them?
Like a child…
Japan holds 1.3T of US Treasury Bonds.
China holds 784B of US Treasury Bonds.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/japan-threatens-to-offload-its-1-trillion-us-treasury-holdings-if-trump-trade-talks-don-t-go-well/ar-AA1E2Wkn?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=89696f93c7014b42e08c75e6e99cf34c&ei=7
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/dozens-of-u-s-companies-announce-layoffs-in-may-amid-economic-pressures/ar-AA1E0slQ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=9ff8576aacf04b15b553f8f3605ca1fa&ei=3
UPS cutting 20,000 jobs.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/ups-says-it-s-cutting-20-000-jobs/ar-AA1DQgB8?ocid=winp2fptaskbar&cvid=b49643f078a84ddaaa106b6c0cb427c2&ei=25
SAS’s slow trickle of layoffs is painful, but any new owner will be harsher.
Intel is laying off another 20%.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/22/intel-reportedly-plans-to-lay-off-over-21000-employees/
@qd+1js7r515a But but… I’m angry, SAS is badder.
SAS folks are not the only ones getting laid off.
Many others are too in both public and private sectors.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/more-manufacturing-workers-told-they-re-being-liberated-from-jobs/ar-AA1Dp9ks?ocid=winp2fptaskbarhover&cvid=68301d2316cf4952ccaaceee20f59b4e&ei=11
There were zero layoffs in the Art Department, which is safe.
There were 700 people in Sales to begin with? That number seems exaggerated.
Perhaps the "outside help" comments in other posts were about hiring outside Sales personnel?
I was told 600, across multiple departments. I found it hard to believe also.
Is it true that 700 people were let go from Sales in the most recent layoff? I heard that number but find it hard to believe.
"how many do you believe were laid off, took a VRBP, or left for other reasons?"
It does not matter because gone is gone. Gross annual revenue remaining flat for a decade is an indication that renewals are waning much slower than new subscriptions are growing. I would wager that an examination of new subscriptions would reveal peaking right before the Viya ho-n got noisy. That would be over a decade ago.
It would be unsurprising if post mortem analysis reveals that Viya was the largest contribution to the death of SAS. Flourishing companies sell quickly.
I don’t know how many were impacted by the March layoffs, but guess few took the April VRBP. So I’ll use the 2500 estimate.
Of that number, I guess 500 took the three VRBPs, maybe 700 at most.
For sure, hundreds left during the pandemic stimulus bo-m. I could believe 800 or even 1000.
That would mean about 600 taking VRBPs, about 900 resignations, and about 1000 laid off.
The 2,500 estimate does not include the current VRBP, or the layoffs from last month. If you can estimate those numbers, feel free to include them in the total.
[OP]