The start of 2024 has heralded a series of big workforce reductions across the technology industry, impacting notable organisations such as Google, Amazon, and Bytedance. And there is a strong likelihood that these layoffs will continue, as hinted by tech leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Now, in a recent development, eBay, the popular e-commerce platform, has announced its decision to lay off approximately 1,000 employees, representing 9% of its total full-time workforce. Additionally, the company intends to terminate an undisclosed number of contract workers in the coming months. eBay says that there’s a “need for change,” despite reportedly making $1.3 billion in profits last quarter.
“Our strategy is the right one, but there is more we can do to ensure our success. We need to better organise our teams for speed – allowing us to be more nimble, bring like-work together, and help us make decisions more quickly,” said Jamie Iannone, President and CEO of eBay. He also said that eBay plans to “scale back the number of contracts we have within our alternate workforce over the coming months.”
He added: “These are not actions we take lightly — and we recognize the impact they will have on all eBayers. We have to say goodbye to people who have made so many important contributions to the eBay community and culture, and this isn’t easy.”
Moreover, the company also states that the same is also in line with its effort to consolidate some teams, and create a better user experience for its customers.
Notably, this recent workforce reduction comes in the wake of numerous technology-related layoffs within the industry.
In early January, Google kickstarted layoffs affecting hundreds of employees across various teams. This included staff in its Voice Assistant unit, as well as hundreds in the hardware team responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit. Furthermore, Google made workforce adjustments in its augmented reality team and central engineering team.
Meanwhile, Amazon is also in the process of downsizing by letting go of hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and MGM Studios divisions, as reported by Forbes. The company reportedly reviewed “nearly every aspect” of its business operations before making the decision.
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