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Where Did Microsoft Put 10,000 New Employees?
Microsoft hired 10,000 new employees in fiscal 2006, which ended on June 30 -- the most ever in a single year in the company's more than 31-year history.
One big question is what is the company doing with all of those bodies? Based on Microsoft's most recent Form 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has done a quick analysis.
The majority (7,000) were added to two groups: product research and development, and sales and marketing. Microsoft's development groups added 4,000 new hires, expanding product development headcount by 17 percent.
Likewise, the company added another 3,000 troops to the ranks of its sales and marketing groups, according to the paper's analysis, also a 17 percent increase over the previous figure. The company also added 1,000 heads in consulting and support roles for an 8 percent increase, while it increased general and administrative categories by 40 percent, or 2,000 new employees.
Total worldwide headcount as of the end of June comes to 71,553. The company grossed nearly $44.3 billion in fiscal 2006, up 11 percent on fiscal 2005. Net income was $12.6 billion, a growth rate of 3 percent over the previous year.
To read the entire analysis, check out this blog post.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.