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Corporate America Cuts Thousands of Jobs as Recession Looms

FILE PHOTO: The Amazon logo is seen at the company's logistics centre in Boves, France, February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo
November 15, 2022

(Reuters)—Corporate America is making deep cuts to its employee base as part of its restructuring efforts to navigate a potential downturn in the economy from the U.S. Federal Reserve's war on inflation.

Job cuts announced by U.S.-based employers jumped 13% to 33,843 in October, the highest since February 2021, according to a report.

Here are some of the major job cuts announced in recent weeks:

Amazon.com Inc:

The e-commerce giant is planning to lay off about 10,000 people in corporate and technology jobs, the New York Times reported.

Meta Platforms Inc:

The Facebook-parent said it would cut 13% of its workforce, or more than 11,000 employees, in one of the biggest tech layoffs this year as it grapples with a weak advertising market and mounting costs.

Citigroup Inc:

The bank eliminated dozens of jobs across its investment banking division, as a dealmaking slump continues to weigh on Wall Street’s biggest banks, Bloomberg News reported.

Morgan Stanley:

The Wall Street is expected to start a fresh round of layoffs globally in the coming weeks, Reuters reported on Nov. 3, as the Wall Street bank's dealmaking business takes a hit.

Intel Corp:

Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger told Reuters "people actions" would be part of a cost-reduction plan. The chipmaker said it would reduce costs by $3 billion in 2023.

The adjustments would start in the fourth quarter, Gelsinger said, but did not specify how many employees would be affected.

Microsoft Corp:

The software giant laid off under 1,000 employees across several divisions this week, Axios reported, citing a source.

Johnson & Johnson:

The pharmaceutical giant said it might cut some jobs amid inflationary pressure and a strong dollar, with CFO Joseph Wolk saying the healthcare conglomerate is looking at "right sizing" itself.

Twitter Inc:

The social media company laid off half its workforce across teams ranging from communications and content curation to product and engineering following Elon Musk's $44 billion takeover.

However, Bloomberg on Sunday reported Twitter was reaching out to dozens of employees who lost their jobs, asking them to return.

Lyft Inc:

The ride-hailing firm said it would lay off 13% of its workforce, or about 683 employees, after it already cut 60 jobs earlier this year and froze hiring in September.

Warner Bros Discovery:

Film subsidiary Warner Bros. Pictures is planning to cut a number of jobs in distribution and marketing that will reduce headcount by 5% to 10%, Bloomberg News reported.

Beyond Meat Inc:

The vegan meat maker said it plans to cut 200 jobs this year, with the layoffs expected to save about $39 million.

Stripe Inc:

The digital payments firm is cutting its headcount by about 14% and will have about 7,000 employees after the layoffs, according to an email to employees from the company's founders.

Chime:

The online banking firm has laid off 12% of its employees, or about 160 jobs, a spokesperson said.

Opendoor Technologies Inc:

The Property-selling platform is laying off about 550 employees, Chief Executive Officer Eric Wu said, adding that the company had already reduced its workforce by more than 830 positions.

Phillips 66:

The refiner reduced employee headcount by over 1,100 as it seeks to meet its 2022 cost savings target of $500 million. The reductions were communicated to employees in late October.

Chesapeake Energy Corp:

The U.S. shale gas producer cut about 3% of its workforce, sources told Reuters, as the company readies a sale of South Texas oil properties.

Seagate Technology Holdings Plc:

The memory chip firm announced a restructuring plan including reducing worldwide headcount by about 8%, or 3,000 employees.

Arrival SA:

The EV startup said it plans to further "right-size" the organization, which could have a "sizable impact" on its global workforce, mostly in the UK.

The company in July said it may cut up to 30% of workforce in restructuring.

Coinbase Global:

The cryptocurrency exchange said it planned to cut over 60 jobs, in its recruiting and institutional onboarding teams.

The move marks a second round of jobs cuts at the company this year, and comes at a time when cryptocurrencies have been roiled by extreme volatility as investors dump risky assets.

Walt Disney Co:

The media giant is planning to freeze hiring and cut some jobs, according to a company memo seen by Reuters.

"Hiring for the small subset of the most critical, business-driving positions will continue, but all other roles are on hold," Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek wrote in the memo sent to Disney leaders.

(Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Akash Sriram and Granth Vanaik; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Shounak Dasgupta and Anil D'Silva)