The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Microsoft is laying off thousands of workers, marking its largest mass layoff in over two years. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe reports that notices were sent out Wednesday, affecting the Xbox division and other areas. About 830 employees at the Redmond HQ are included in the cuts, which represent about 4 per cent of the workers from a year ago. The layoffs are part of "organizational changes" necessary to thrive in a "dynamic marketplace." A memo to gaming division employees Wednesday from Xbox chief Phil Spencer said the cuts would position the video-game business "for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas." Xbox would "follow Microsoft's lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness," Mr. Spencer wrote. This year's biggest layoff occurred in May, when Microsoft cut about 6,000 workers, nearly 3 per cent of its global staff, marking its largest job cuts in over two years due to heavy spending on artificial intelligence. Last month, it cut an additional 300 workers in Redmond, following nearly 2,000 layoffs in the Puget Sound region, primarily in software engineering and product management.