Surgical Robot Maker Intuitive to Layoff 331 Employees at Sunnyvale Headquarters

According to a US state filing last week, medical robot maker Intuitive Surgical may fire up to 331 employees from its Sunnyvale headquarters facility. By the end of October, the Santa Clara-based corporation will be laying off employees at 1050 Kifer Road, which is adjacent to its main headquarters facility at 1020 Kifer Road.

Impact on Sunnyvale Facility and Workforce Size

The layoffs were caused by Intuitive ceasing operations for weekend and graveyard shifts in one of its industrial units. In order to reduce the final layoff number, the firm stated that it will urge the impacted employees to apply for available positions. The reductions come from a workforce of 15,638 workers, as in the previous year.

Reason Behind the Job Reductions

Up to 212 assembly technicians, 26 manufacturing leaders, 22 trainers, and 22 material handlers are among the impacted staff members. Layoffs have severely impacted medical device and biotech industries as a result of the industry slump that followed the pandemic.

Roles Impacted by the Layoffs

 Together, Gilead, Roche, and Cargo Therapeutics have eliminated hundreds of positions in the Bay Area this year. Founded in 1995, Intuitive is well-known for its da Vinci Surgical System, which helps physicians do minimally invasive treatments like heart valve repairs, hysterectomies, and prostate removals. By the end of June, 10,488 da Vinci systems had been installed, according to the business.

Growth in da Vinci Surgical System Installations

The business recorded $2.44 billion in revenue for the second quarter, a 21% increase over the previous year. The second quarter’s net income increased from $527 million in 2024 to $658 million. The outcomes exceeded Zacks Investment Research’s analyst projections. Tuesday’s trading saw Intuitive’s shares rise 1.2%, reaching a market valuation of $172 billion.

Tech and Media Layoffs Continue in 2025

With big companies like Google, Microsoft, and others continuing to reduce their workforces, layoffs in the tech sector are not expected to halt in 2025.

Companies are still cutting employees in an effort to simplify operations, save money, and emphasise automation and artificial intelligence, even though these figures are much lower than the major layoffs that occurred between 2022 and 2023.

Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks layoffs in the industry, reports that 93 organisations have laid off nearly 23,500 tech workers so far this year, and the number is still growing.

Industry-Wide Trend: AI Reshaping the Workforce

Google and Microsoft are apparently contemplating a new round of layoffs, according to the most recent job reduction reports. According to reports, AI-led restructuring and performance-based terminations are part of the corporations’ goals to increase the effectiveness of their personnel.

Similarly, Disney laid off about 200 workers, or nearly 6% of the workforce, from its ABC News Group and Disney Entertainment Networks divisions in March 2025.

According to a media report, the Walt Disney Company restructured in October 2024, closing ABC Signature and combining its operations into 20th Television. It also merged the scripted drama and comedy teams from ABC and Hulu Originals.