Dell's staff numbers have dropped by 25,000 in just 2 years
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
- An SEC filing shows Dell's head count has fallen by 12,000 in the last year and 25,000 in the past two.
- Since February 2023, the tech company's employee numbers have fallen by almost 19%.
- The Texas-based tech company held layoffs in August and rolled out numerous RTO policies in 2024.
Computer maker Dell's staff numbers have fallen by 25,000 in the last two years.
In its latest 10-K filing, published on Tuesday, the company said that it had about 108,000 global employees as of January 31, 2025.
In February 2024, that number was 120,000, marking a 10% annual reduction in the workforce.
Looking back two years, Dell's head count stood at 133,000, meaning that since February 2023, the Texas-based tech company has reduced its workforce by 19%.
The decline in Dell's head count comes after a year of both layoffs and RTO mandates.
In August, the company significantly restructured its sales division, which it told workers was necessary to prepare for "the world of AI." As part of the restructuring, Dell laid off workers, though it did not specify how many.
The company has also carried out a series of RTO mandates throughout 2024, gradually encouraging workers back to the office during the year before finally ordering all who live within 90 minutes of an office to return to their desks five days a week this January.
The RTO mandates have proved unpopular with some Dell employees. When they were asked to classify as either hybrid or remote in February 2024, roughly 50% of Dell's full-time employees in the US opted to stay remote, even though that meant they would forgo promotions to do so. Several employees have told BI that the RTO policies were prompting them to look elsewhere for work.
"Through an ongoing series of actions, we are becoming a leaner company. We are combining teams and prioritizing where we invest across the company," Dell told Business Insider.
Dell
Dell's annual revenue was up 8% in its 2024 financial year, but the company's shares have dropped 15% so far in 2025.
According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, CEO Michael Dell's net worth has fallen by $16.6 billion in 2025 — the second-biggest drop in personal wealth after Elon Musk
Dell notably upheld its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the SEC filing.
Several leading tech companies, including Meta, Alphabet, and Salesforce, have rolled back their DEI programs and reporting practices amid the wider diversity backlash that has gathered pace since the Trump administration entered office.
"At Dell Technologies, we believe wide-ranging perspectives are powerful," the company said. "We believe that a workforce diverse in experience and background drives innovation and growth."
Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at pthompson@businessinsider.com or Signal at Polly_Thompson.89. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.