Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has apologised and said he was wrong for saying that women don’t need to ask for a raise and should just trust the system to pay them well.

Microsoft boss Satya Nadella has provoked a storm by saying women do not need to ask for a pay rise, but should just trust the system – one that at technology companies is overwhelmingly male.

It is believed that only a handful of positions at Microsoft’s Irish operations will be affected by the decision to cut 18,000 staff from its 127,000 worldwide workforce.

Microsoft is to axe up to 18,000 jobs over the next year as the US software giant begins the steepest cuts in the firm’s 39-year history.

Microsoft, which employs almost 2,000 people in Ireland, could announce at least 5,800 job losses worldwide within a matter of days, it has emerged.

Microsoft has posted earnings and revenue that beat Wall Street expectations in Satya Nadella’s first quarterly earnings release as chief executive, offering new justification for his focus on cloud computing.

Microsoft has named 22-year company veteran Satya Nadella as its next chief executive, ending a protracted search for a new leader after Steve Ballmer announced his intention to retire in August.