PwC to Cut 1,500 US Jobs, Shuts Offices in Nine African Countries

Global accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is set to lay off around 1,500 employees in the United States, equivalent to about 2% of its American workforce, the firm confirmed on Monday.

PwC, which employs over 75,000 people in the U.S., said the decision was driven by historically low attrition rates and the need to realign its workforce.
“This was a difficult decision made with great care and an awareness of its impact,” a company spokesperson stated.

The job cuts come amid a broader restructuring by the firm, which last month announced the closure of its operations in nine Sub-Saharan African countries: Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon, Madagascar, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Guinea, and Equatorial Guinea.

In a statement on its website, PwC said the closures followed a strategic review aimed at focusing on sustainable growth and profitability. The company is reportedly retreating from markets considered high-risk or unprofitable.

The move marks one of the most significant retrenchments by a Big Four firm in Africa in recent years.

According to reports, the closures were prompted by declining revenues and internal tensions between PwC’s global leadership and local partners.
The Financial Times reported that local offices had been under pressure to sever ties with clients classified as high-risk, leading to revenue drops of over 30% in some markets.

PwC operates as a global network of independent partnerships. The firm said its decision reflects an evolving strategy to streamline its operations and focus on markets aligned with its long-term growth plans.