Salesforce quietly cuts under 1,000 jobs as Agentforce AI unit gets hit

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 10, 2026, 03:42 (PST)

• Business Insider reported that Salesforce trimmed fewer than 1,000 jobs back in early February.
• Teams hit by the move: marketing, product management, data analytics, plus Agentforce AI.
• Salesforce is slashing jobs just as it leans into AI “agents,” with quarterly results on deck for Feb. 25.

Salesforce trimmed fewer than 1,000 positions in early February, hitting roles in marketing, product management, data analytics, and its Agentforce AI initiative, according to a Business Insider report on Monday. The company didn’t reply to a request for comment. Reuters was also unable to independently verify the claim. 1

Layoffs come amid a wave of U.S. companies cutting jobs and moving more tasks over to artificial intelligence tools, automating repetitive work and shrinking staff in certain roles.

Timing is also crucial for Salesforce, which has been touting AI as its next big growth engine. Investors are waiting to see if businesses will actually spend on the new “agent” software. Fourth-quarter results are due Feb. 25.

At least nine staffers at Business Insider wrote on LinkedIn that they’d lost their jobs, according to the publication. Two more employees confirmed to Business Insider that they’d also been cut. The outlet characterized the move as a quiet reduction—there was no public statement.

Agentforce, Salesforce’s AI “agent” platform, goes beyond just fielding questions—it’s pitched as software that steps in and acts for users. CEO Marc Benioff calls it “the core of every product we make now,” as he told CNBC’s Jim Cramer, according to The Times of India. 2

Along with layoffs, Salesforce is dealing with a wave of management exits. Since December, six new leaders have stepped in—either hired or promoted—to fill the roles of departing executives, according to Business Insider. The company, for its part, says it’s “always been a talent engine,” a spokesperson told the publication. 3

Business Insider reported Salesforce has hired a chief security officer from Google, brought in a new chief marketing officer, and handed one of its current C-suite executives broader authority over both Slack and Agentforce.

Business Insider reported Adam Evans, former head of Agentforce, is out. On LinkedIn, Evans wrote, “I’ve decided it’s time to start my next chapter outside Salesforce – returning to what I love most: building startups.” The outlet also noted recent exits at Tableau and Slack. Slack’s chief executive has left for OpenAI.

The layoffs follow a trend Benioff has talked about before. On a podcast last August, he said Salesforce trimmed 4,000 customer support positions, citing a need for “less heads” and highlighting how AI tools are changing the job.

Salesforce has been pushing to persuade Wall Street that AI won’t just trim expenses—it’s counting on it to drive revenue growth. Back in December, the company lifted its revenue and adjusted profit guidance for fiscal 2026, crediting stronger enterprise demand and optimism about its AI agent platform.

Job cuts keep coming across the wider tech sector. Amazon, for its part, announced in January that it would eliminate 16,000 positions globally—marking the company’s second significant wave of layoffs in just three months, according to Reuters.

Still, there are gaps in what’s known about Salesforce. The company hasn’t detailed how deep the cuts go, and there’s no word yet on whether this is a single shake-up or the start of a longer stretch of downsizing that might throw product plans like Agentforce into question.

As noted by People Matters, the layoffs come as a discreet move linked to both Salesforce’s AI ambitions and a leadership shakeup. 4