Cognizant’s annual filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, reported the company’s headcount in India dropped by 8000 at the end of 2017. On the converse,  the number of people it employs in the US and Europe rose. Cognizant’s US headcount rose by about 2900 to 50,400, and its Europe headcount grew by about 2300 at the end of 2017. 

It is stated that at the end of 2017, the IT major employed about 260,000 individuals, out of which 180,000 were in India. Additionally, at the end of the year 2016, the company’s headcount stood at 260,200 people, out of which 188,000 were in India. 

The National Association of Software and Services Companies has also forecasted lower headcount growth, even as companies expect to hire in the thousands in the US. According to the media reports, Cognizant announced it would establish a new non-profit foundation, with an initial grant of $100 million, to support science, technology, engineering, math and digital education and skills initiatives for U.S. workers and students. 

Francisco D’Souza, CEO of Cognizant was quoted in media saying, “The Cognizant U.S. Foundation will address the current technology skills gap through innovative programs focused on educating a wide range of Americans and preparing them to thrive in the digital era,” 

The firm also affirmed that it had hired 6000 US workers in 2017 and planned to grow its US headcount further by at least an additional 25,000 in the next five years.