Edible Apple

TechFlash is reporting that Microsoft is poised to layoff even more workers as early as today.

This latest round of layoffs is expected to be noticeably smaller than the first two — numbering in the hundreds but totaling less than 1,000 overall. Some portion of the new cuts will serve as the final phase of the company’s original plan, announced in January of this year, to cut up to 5,000 jobs over 18 months. However, the new layoffs are expected to take the company beyond the original plan, as well.

The report notes that laid off employees in the past have been able to find other work within the company, in a reorganization of sorts.  But with the economy still in the gutter and Microsoft still reeling from its effects, that won’t be happening this time around.

The last time Microsoft made sweeping cuts was this past May when it released 3,000 employees from their positions.  At the time of this writing, it remains unclear which product group will be affected by the most recent round of layoffs.