Microsoft Defends Xbox CEO as Layoffs Frame Restructuring, Not H-1B

Microsoft defended Xbox CEO Asha Sharma amid backlash over 3,200 Xbox layoffs, saying the reductions are a restructuring of the Xbox business and not a move to replace American workers with foreign hires. The company clarified that H-1B figures cited refer to Microsoft-wide renewals and new hires and that most affected roles were not American. Sharma, described as American-born from Wisconsin, was also noted for being named to lead a Fed Reserve task force on productivity and employment.