# SUSE plans to cut about one in 10 jobs, citing AI

> The Linux company plans to reduce its nearly 2,000-person workforce. CEO Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen cited AI and automation as reasons for the cuts.

Oossa · 2026-11-03 · https://oossa.com/en/suse-plans-to-cut-about-one-in-10-jobs-citing-ai

SUSE plans to lay off about one in 10 of its nearly 2,000 employees, according to ZDNet, citing exclusive reporting by The Register. CEO Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen told staff in an email that the cuts were due to “automation and AI.” That would amount to roughly 200 jobs, though SUSE has not specified the exact number in the details reported.

Van Leeuwen said AI is changing how software companies work and argued that SUSE’s current structure and costs would not support its future. He told staff that modern tools are already helping teams move faster with less operational work and fewer layers of management. In his email, he said the need for some existing roles had “greatly diminished,” while other jobs would change over the next few years.

## What has SUSE said about the changes?

The planned cuts are not the only change Van Leeuwen described. He said AI capabilities were advancing quickly and that SUSE needed to rethink how it was organized. The email, as reported, does not clarify whether he meant SUSE had already adopted AI tools internally or whether the role changes were driven by automation more broadly.

SUSE has not provided a timeline for the layoffs or identified which teams or roles will be affected in the reported details. The announcement is about forthcoming cuts; it does not mean that all the jobs have already been eliminated.

## AI-related cuts remain hard to interpret

SUSE’s announcement comes amid a wider debate over whether AI is directly replacing workers or being used to explain other restructuring. The ZDNet report notes that some companies have tied layoffs to AI, but the reasons can be mixed. For example, Microsoft said it would offer buyouts to 60,000 workers, including some in its Copilot division, while also facing the high costs of building AI infrastructure.

The report also cites Gartner’s forecast that companies could rehire 30% of workers they tried to replace with AI by 2029, potentially at higher cost, if they fail to rethink workforce planning. That is a forecast, not a description of what has happened at SUSE. The company’s announcement makes AI and automation part of its stated rationale, but it does not establish how much of the planned reduction comes from using AI rather than other organizational changes.

## The facts

- SUSE plans to cut one in 10 of its nearly 2,000-person workforce, according to ZDNet’s account of The Register’s reporting.
- CEO Dirk-Peter van Leeuwen cited “automation and AI” in an email to staff.
- Van Leeuwen said some existing roles had greatly diminished in need and other roles would evolve over the next few years.
- Gartner forecasts that companies could rehire 30% of employees they tried to replace with AI by 2029 if they do not overhaul workforce planning.

## Why it matters

For SUSE employees, the company’s plan puts roughly one in 10 jobs at risk, although the affected roles and timing have not been reported. The company cites AI and automation, but the available details do not show how many cuts are directly caused by AI tools.

## Sources & references

1. [SUSE lays off 1 in 10 workers – citing AI and automation](https://www.zdnet.com/business/suse-lay-offs-workforce-ai-cited/) – ZDNet, 2026-11-03

Last updated: 2026-11-03