Alibaba hires 15,000 people and fends off reports of job cuts
Alibaba pointed to its recruiting system as proof that the company was still hiring.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said it plans to hire 15,000 people this year, pushing back against reports that the Chinese tech company is laying off employees.
In a statement posted on Weibo on Thursday, the Chinese e-commerce platform said its “six major business divisions will need to hire a total of 15,000 new hires.” The company said it would hire 3,000 university graduates. He called reports of layoffs “rumors” and said employee departures were part of the “normal flow”.
Alibaba’s cloud division has begun a series of job cuts that could cut its staff by around 7%, Bloomberg News reported earlier this week. 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 spinoff and possible initial public offering.
The e-commerce giant said it was pursuing a six-part split of its operations as it adjusts to slower growth under heightened regulatory scrutiny in China’s tech industry. Alibaba Cloud, one of the largest divisions, joins Cainiao’s logistics division and international trade in pursuing independent fundraising and potential listings.
Chief Executive Daniel Zhang first presented details of the historic redesign earlier this month. The group, which does not detail staffing in separate units, employed more than 235,000 people in March.
Alibaba pointed to its recruiting system as proof that the company was still hiring. “We have never stopped recruiting and cultivating exceptional talent,” the company said in its statement.
Alibaba shares fell about 3% in US trade.
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