US software giant Oracle has begun laying off employees at its China Development Center, the 21st Century Business Herald reported on Tuesday.

The first round of downsizing affects over 900 employees, with Oracle offering a severance package of "N+6", which means those laid off receive their monthly salary multiplied by the number of years they worked plus six months' pay.

At a full staff meeting, Oracle China said that it was a very difficult decision made in the face of a rapidly changing business environment and a strategic necessity to make timely adjustments to existing R&D systems and business models.

Oracle also vowed to offer the best customer experience in the cloud computing sector and continue to expand its operations.

In addition to the compensation package, Oracle said it will provide career planning services to help laid-off workers make career transitions.

Media outlets reported in March that Oracle would close its China Development Center, affecting some 1,600 staff members.