Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to lead US jobs task force after laying off 3,200 employees

🏛️💼 **The U.S. Federal Reserve has appointed Xbox CEO Asha Sharma to help lead a newly created task force examining productivity and employment, placing the Indian American technology executive at the center of a major review of how the nation’s central bank approaches the modern economy.**

The appointment is part of a broader initiative launched by Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, who has established five independent task forces to evaluate the Fed’s policies, research methods, and institutional practices as rapid technological change reshapes the U.S. economy.

Sharma will serve alongside Stanford economist Charles I. Jones and prominent venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, combining expertise from technology, academia, artificial intelligence, and finance to study future workforce productivity and employment trends.

The Federal Reserve said the panels will recommend ways to strengthen policymaking while ensuring the central bank remains prepared for emerging economic challenges driven by AI, automation, and changing labor markets.

Sharma’s selection has attracted attention because it comes shortly after Xbox announced a major restructuring that includes thousands of planned job reductions over the next two years. Company executives have maintained that the layoffs reflect broader business restructuring and changing market conditions rather than employee performance.

Despite the debate, Sharma’s appointment highlights the growing influence of technology leaders in shaping public policy discussions as governments increasingly seek private-sector expertise on artificial intelligence, innovation, and the future of work. The initiative also reflects the Federal Reserve’s effort to better understand how technological transformation could influence inflation, productivity, employment, and long-term economic growth. 📈🤖