Tech industry witnessed significant workforce reductions in 2024

Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are among the companies downsizing their workforce.

The technology and gaming sectors witnessed a concerning surge in job cuts in 2023, and regrettably, 2024 has begun on an equally disheartening note. Our team often finds itself reporting on numerous layoffs within a week, sometimes even in a single business day. In an effort to monitor these developments comprehensively and potentially discern broader industry trends, we have consolidated all significant layoffs into one comprehensive resource. This story will be continuously updated as more companies implement workforce reductions.

March 2024

Rivian layoffs

Rivian has reportedly terminated approximately 100 employees at its manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, constituting around one percent of the total workforce at the plant. The connection between these layoffs and the automaker's previously declared intention to reduce 10 percent of its salaried staff remains unclear. These workforce reductions precede the unveiling of Rivian's R2 compact SUV.

February 2024

Instacart layoffs

Instacart has reduced its workforce by seven percent, equating to approximately 250 employees. This decision was disclosed in the company's fourth-quarter earnings report, revealing enhanced revenue compared to the corresponding period in 2023.

DocuSign layoffs

DocuSign has reduced its workforce by six percent, with the sales and marketing departments experiencing the most significant impact. According to Bloomberg, the company had 7,336 employees by the conclusion of 2023.

Snap layoffs

Snap is undergoing another round of workforce reduction, this time cutting 10 percent of its employees, equivalent to around 540 workers. The company stated that these layoffs are deemed necessary to "minimize hierarchy and foster in-person collaboration."

Microsoft layoffs

In February, Microsoft implemented layoffs at two gaming subsidiaries, eliminating 86 positions at the Skylanders studio Toys for Bob and 76 positions at the Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games.

Mozilla layoffs

Mozilla has cut 60 employees, representing approximately five percent of its workforce, only a week after naming a new CEO. The company aims to shift its focus and allocate resources to products such as Firefox Mobile, identifying substantial potential for growth and the establishment of an improved industry model.

Cisco layoffs

Cisco, the networking giant, disclosed plans to reduce its workforce by around 5 percent, affecting over 4,200 employees. This move is part of a broader restructuring initiative. Prior to these layoffs, the company had a total employee count of 84,900.

Rivian layoffs

Rivian, the electric car manufacturer, revealed its decision to cut 10 percent of its salaried workforce following a financial loss of $1.5 billion in the final quarter of 2023.

January 2024

Duolingo layoffs

Duolingo has reduced its contractor workforce by 10%, citing the adoption of generative AI as a means to handle certain tasks previously carried out by human workers.

Humane AI layoffs

Humane has undertaken a workforce reduction of 4%, occurring even before the release of its flagship product, the Ai pin, into the market.

Twitch layoffs

Twitch, owned by Amazon, is undergoing a substantial downsizing, with a reduction of 35% in its workforce, affecting slightly over 500 employees. In a communication to the staff, CEO Dan Clancy mentioned that the current size of the organization exceeds the necessary scale for its business operations.

Unity layoffs

Unity has implemented a significant workforce reduction, laying off 1,800 employees, which accounts for a quarter of its total workforce. This comes in addition to the 1,110 layoffs the company has experienced in the preceding two years.

Amazon layoffs

On the day Twitch, owned by Amazon, announced the layoffs of 500 employees, Variety reported that Amazon was planning to cut "several hundred" positions at Prime Video and MGM Studios. Subsequently, in January, Amazon also implemented a 5% reduction in staff for its Buy with Prime program.

Meta layoffs

Meta's layoffs have extended into 2024, with reports indicating that the company has laid off 60 technical program managers at Instagram.

Google layoffs

In a recent cost-cutting measure, Google has reportedly laid off hundreds of employees across various departments, including Assistant and hardware divisions. Concurrently, the company has restructured its Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit divisions, resulting in the departure of Fitbit's co-founders. Additionally, Google has carried out significant layoffs in its ads business. CEO Sundar Pichai indicated in an internal memo that further cuts are anticipated throughout the year. Meanwhile, Alphabet, Google's parent company, has cut dozens of jobs from its X moonshot lab.

eBay layoffs

E-commerce giant eBay is streamlining its operations by cutting around 1,000 roles, constituting approximately 9 percent of its full-time workforce. Additionally, the company has outlined plans to reduce the number of contractors in the upcoming months.

Discord layoffs

Discord has reportedly cut 170 employees, equivalent to 17 percent of its workforce. According to a memo initially reported by The Verge, CEO Jason Citron acknowledged that the company had over-hired in 2020, leading to the decision to reduce staff.

Riot Games layoffs

After a challenging year for the gaming industry in 2023, Riot Games has disclosed a significant reduction by laying off 11 percent of its global workforce, affecting 530 individuals.

TikTok layoffs

TikTok has officially confirmed the termination of 60 employees, primarily from its sales and advertising division.

Microsoft layoffs

Microsoft has initiated a workforce reduction of 1,900 jobs encompassing Activision and Blizzard. This development sets a somber tone for the gaming industry in the new year, with a total of 6,000 layoffs recorded across the sector in 2024 thus far.

Polestar layoffs

The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer is implementing a workforce reduction of 15% globally, equating to approximately 450 jobs being cut.

iRobot layoffs

Following Amazon's decision to cancel its planned acquisition of the company, iRobot, the maker of Roomba, has cut 31 percent of its workforce.

Block layoffs

Block has reportedly laid off around 1,000 workers, with significant impact on teams such as Cash App and Square. CEO Jack Dorsey informed the staff that the company is undergoing a streamlining process to become more lean and efficient.

PayPal layoffs

PayPal has reduced its workforce by nine percent, amounting to approximately 2,500 employees, despite reporting robust revenue growth in 2023.