Layoffs in United States

In May 2024, lidar technology company Luminar announced a major restructuring, laying off approximately 140 employees, which represents 20% of its workforce. The company, which supplies sensors to automakers like Volvo, is shifting to a more asset-light business model to reduce costs and accelerate production scaling. This move includes outsourcing more lidar production to its exclusive manufacturing partner, TPK Holding, and reducing its global facility footprint. CEO Austin Russell cited challenging capital market perceptions and the need for a new cost structure, aiming to cut annual operating costs by $50–65 million while focusing on profitability and faster product commercialization.

Bakkt, a cryptocurrency trading platform, announced layoffs on Friday, cutting 28 employees, which represents approximately 13% of its non-call center, full-time workforce. The company, operating in the fintech and crypto industry, is undertaking this reduction as part of broader cost-cutting measures amid market challenges. This move follows a trend of workforce adjustments in the tech and crypto sectors, with Bakkt's shares rising slightly in response to the news. The layoffs highlight ongoing volatility and restructuring efforts within the digital asset space.

Peloton, the connected fitness equipment company, announced a significant restructuring on Thursday, which includes laying off approximately 400 employees, representing 15% of its global workforce. This move is part of a broader effort to realign the company's cost structure with its current revenue, as it reported disappointing fiscal third-quarter results that missed Wall Street expectations. The layoffs, alongside the departure of CEO Barry McCarthy, aim to reduce annual expenses by over $200 million by the end of fiscal 2025, with half the savings coming from payroll cuts. The hardest-hit departments include research and development, marketing, and international teams. This restructuring is intended to position Peloton for sustained positive cash flow while continuing to invest in innovation.

Assurance laid off 112 employees representing approximately 100% of its workforce on 2024-05-01.

Israeli insurtech startup Sproutt, which specialized in digital life insurance in the U.S., has declared insolvency and is heading for bankruptcy as of early May 2024. The company, which had raised $38 million and once reached a $200 million valuation, is unable to pay its debts, including $2.2 million to Bank Leumi and $740,000 to suppliers, while also owing unpaid employee salaries. Strategic missteps led to heavy expenses and estimated losses of about $33 million, as its subsidiary Aktibo failed to generate sufficient revenue to cover high marketing costs. The company's downfall marks a significant failure in the insurtech sector.

Google, the tech giant under parent company Alphabet, has laid off at least 200 employees from its critical "Core" organization, which handles the technical foundation and security for its flagship products. This move, confirmed in late April 2024, is part of a broader reorganization and cost-cutting strategy. The company is shifting these roles to lower-cost locations, specifically hiring corresponding positions in Mexico and India to operate closer to partners and developer communities. These layoffs, which included at least 50 engineering roles in Sunnyvale, California, continue a trend of downsizing that began in early 2023 when Alphabet cut 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its workforce. Despite a rebound in digital advertising, the company maintains its focus on restructuring and global workforce redistribution to optimize operations.

Peloton announced a new round of layoffs as part of a restructuring effort, coinciding with the CEO's resignation. The exact number of affected employees was not specified in the announcement.

In May 2024, ahead of its annual I/O developer conference, Google conducted layoffs affecting staff from key teams including Flutter, Dart, and Python, as part of broader organizational changes to streamline operations and align resources with major product priorities. While the exact number of employees impacted was not disclosed, the layoffs were described as targeted reorganizations rather than company-wide cuts, with affected individuals offered the opportunity to apply for other roles within the tech giant. Google emphasized these moves aim to reduce bureaucracy and focus investment on significant opportunities, maintaining that teams like Flutter and Dart remain committed to ongoing projects and updates.

Akili Interactive, a digital therapeutics company in the healthcare technology industry, laid off approximately 30% of its workforce, affecting around 40 employees, as part of a strategic restructuring to extend its financial runway and focus resources on commercializing its over-the-counter product, EndeavorOTC™. The layoffs, announced in early 2024, were driven by the need to reduce operational costs amid challenging market conditions, allowing the company to prioritize key growth initiatives in cognitive medicine.

Tesla, the electric vehicle giant, conducted significant layoffs in late April 2024, which notably impacted its Supercharger division. Reports indicate that nearly the entire 500-person team overseeing EV charging, including senior director Rebecca Tinucci, was cut. This move came just weeks after Tesla announced a broader reduction of about 10% of its global workforce, affecting roughly 14,000 employees. The layoffs occurred as Tesla was poised to dominate the U.S. EV charging landscape following the widespread adoption of its North American Charging Standard by other automakers. The decision raises questions about the future of the company's charging network expansion and its industry leadership.

ComplYant, a Los Angeles-based tax-compliance startup, abruptly shut down in September 2023, resulting in the layoff of its entire workforce. The company, which had raised over $10 million in venture funding, furloughed all employees immediately as part of a wind-down process. The exact number of employees affected is not specified, but it involved dozens of staff. The closure occurred amid a broader downturn in venture funding, contributing to a wave of startup failures. Employees faced significant delays, waiting nearly two months to receive their final paychecks and receiving no severance. Founder and CEO Shiloh Johnson cut off communication, deleting social media accounts and leaving staff and partners without answers, highlighting the sudden and disruptive nature of the shutdown in the competitive tech startup landscape.

EV startup Fisker Inc. initiated a new round of layoffs on April 29, 2024, to preserve cash as it faces impending bankruptcy. The exact number of employees affected is unclear, but the company had 1,135 staff as of April 19, following a previous 15% reduction in February. Founder and CEO Henrik Fisker stated the cuts are necessary to explore options like potential transactions or buyers, while the company reported having only $54 million in cash. This move highlights the ongoing financial struggles within the electric vehicle industry.

In late April 2024, space and defense startup True Anomaly laid off approximately 30 employees, representing around 25% of its workforce, and canceled its summer internship program. The Centennial, Colorado-based company, which had over 100 employees as of December 2023, stated the cuts were due to identifying duplication of roles and functions following a period of rapid growth, aiming to sharpen focus on its goals. The layoffs, which began surfacing on April 24, affected teams including sales, business development, and recruiting. This restructuring comes despite the company closing a $100 million funding round in late 2023 and claiming to be well-capitalized, even after an early technical setback in its first orbital mission in March. True Anomaly develops spacecraft and software for space domain awareness and security.

Influencer-marketing platform Grin has laid off many employees in its third round of cuts in recent months, citing ongoing changes in the global economic environment and a need to refocus on customers. While the exact number of affected staffers was not disclosed, the company confirmed the layoffs in April 2024. Grin, a startup in the creator economy that has raised $145 million since its 2014 founding, previously cut 60 roles in November 2022 and several more in March 2023. The latest impacted employees will receive a three-month severance package. The company joins other creator-economy firms like Jellysmack and FaZe Clan in reducing staff amid broader economic pressures in the tech sector.

Expedia on 2024-04-24.

Freenome, a biotechnology company focused on early cancer detection through blood tests, laid off approximately 20% of its workforce in early 2024, affecting around 100 employees. The reduction was part of a strategic restructuring to extend its financial runway and prioritize key clinical and operational goals amid a challenging funding environment for the life sciences sector. The company, which employs about 500 people, aims to streamline operations while advancing its multi-cancer screening programs.

98point6 on 2024-04-23.

Portuguese tech unicorn OutSystems has announced a workforce reduction of 8% of its global team, affecting approximately 150 employees based on a reported headcount of 1,875 from August 2023. The company's CEO, Paulo Rosado, stated the layoffs aim to make the organization more agile at scale, maintain its leadership position in the low-code development platform market, and leverage opportunities in generative AI. The restructuring involves simplifying the company's hierarchy. While specific locations were not confirmed, the layoffs appear to be global, impacting employees in regions including the US. The company, founded in 2001 and operating in the enterprise software industry, achieved unicorn status in 2018.

Homie, a Utah-based real estate technology company that aimed to disrupt the traditional homebuying and selling process, has laid off its remaining real estate agents as it shuts down its brokerage business. The company, which previously employed around 200 people at its peak, did not specify the exact number of agents affected in this final round, but the move effectively ends its direct brokerage operations. This decision, announced in late November 2023, is part of Homie's shift to a referral-based model, where it will connect clients with external real estate agents and contractors instead of employing its own. The layoffs follow a period of financial struggles and leadership changes within the company, reflecting challenges in the competitive proptech industry. Homie, once a growing startup, continues to operate on a reduced scale, focusing on its technology platform and referral services.

Pax8, a Denver-based born-in-the-cloud distributor, has laid off just under five percent of its global workforce, primarily impacting employees in North America. The company, which has experienced strong year-over-year revenue growth in recent years, described the decision as difficult but necessary to optimize operations, increase alignment, and position the business for long-term success. CEO John Street cited an industry-wide shift from unfettered growth to a more cost-efficient model, acknowledging that the company had underestimated the importance of this transition post-pandemic. While the exact number of affected employees wasn't disclosed, the layoffs are part of an effort to create a "fit company," with no further company-wide reductions anticipated in the near term.

Rivian representing approximately 1% of its workforce on 2024-04-17.

Google on 2024-04-17.

ConnectWise, a Tampa-based software vendor with over 3,100 employees, has laid off "significantly less than 100" staffers, with an inside source specifying about 80 positions eliminated globally across multiple departments. The layoffs, announced recently, are part of organizational changes aimed at improving operations and aligning resources with partner growth opportunities. The company cited redundancy from past acquisitions and product adjustments as key factors, noting it is sunsetting some offerings to focus on future opportunities. This move reflects a broader trend in the technology and MSP industry where companies periodically restructure to meet evolving business needs.

AI startup Tome is laying off approximately 12 employees, representing 20% of its 59-person workforce, as part of a strategic restructuring announced in April 2024. The company, which offers a generative AI presentation tool, is shifting its focus from a broad consumer and professional user base to specifically target enterprise sales teams. This move comes as Tome identifies a stronger revenue opportunity in serving paying business customers, leading to cuts in its consumer go-to-market and product development teams. The restructuring will see those roles replaced with enterprise sales staff and developers dedicated to B2B software, aiming to build more sophisticated, revenue-generating products for sales organizations.

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, announced layoffs in April 2024 as part of a major cost reduction program. The company is cutting approximately 5% of its workforce, which translates to about 579 employees, and canceling several in-development projects. This move, expected to incur significant charges, contradicts earlier statements from CEO Strauss Zelnick, who had claimed there were "no plans" for layoffs. The decision is framed as streamlining operations and eliminating projects to optimize costs, with the program set to conclude by the end of 2024. This action places Take-Two within a wider trend of industry-wide layoffs affecting major publishers throughout the year.

Tesla is laying off more than 10% of its global workforce, potentially affecting over 14,000 employees, as part of cost reductions and efforts to increase productivity amid a cooling demand for electric vehicles. The layoffs were announced in an internal email from CEO Elon Musk, following a year-over-year sales drop and lower growth projections for 2024.

Israeli retail technology startup Fabric is laying off approximately 30 employees, representing about 15% of its 200-person workforce, as announced in April 2024. This marks the company's second significant round of layoffs, following a cut of 150 jobs in July 2022. The decision comes as the company, which provides automated fulfillment solutions combining hardware and software, shifts its business model from selling complete robotic warehouse systems to focusing solely on technology and software sales. Founded in 2015 and having achieved unicorn status with over $1 billion valuation, Fabric has raised $375 million to date. The layoffs follow recent leadership changes, including the appointment of a co-CEO, as the company navigates adjustments in its growth strategy within the competitive retail tech industry.

Hinge Health, a virtual physical therapy startup focused on treating chronic musculoskeletal conditions, laid off approximately 10% of its workforce on April 11, 2024. The cuts affected around 170 employees across various functions, including engineering, from a total of over 1,700 staff. The company stated the layoffs were part of an organizational realignment to accelerate its path to profitability, speed up decision-making, and focus investments, as it prepares for a future IPO. Despite the reduction, Hinge Health, last valued at $6.2 billion in 2021, noted it has substantial cash reserves and is not under immediate pressure to go public.

Checkr, a background-screening platform last valued at $5 billion, laid off 382 employees, representing 32% of its workforce, on Tuesday, April 10, 2024, due to economic conditions affecting hiring and to operate more efficiently for long-term business health.

Intel, the semiconductor giant, has initiated a new round of layoffs impacting approximately 62 positions within its Sales and Marketing Group at its Santa Clara, California headquarters. This move is part of an ongoing reorganization aimed at streamlining operations and reducing costs, following CEO Pat Gelsinger's 2022 announcement to cut up to $10 billion in spending by 2025 amid a slowdown in demand. The layoffs, disclosed in an April 4 state filing, are set to take effect starting May 25. While the exact percentage of total employees affected is not specified, Intel emphasizes its commitment to supporting impacted staff and continuing its strategic transformation in the competitive chip industry.

Singularity 6, a Los Angeles-based game developer founded by ex-Riot Games veterans, has laid off approximately 35% of its staff following the release of its MMO Palia on Steam. The studio, which raised $30 million in 2021 and recently surpassed three million players, stated the workforce reduction was a difficult decision made after evaluating the development and business needs required to support the game and its community. The layoffs impacted about one-third of the team, with affected employees receiving severance, career assistance, and retention of company equipment.

Apple laid off 614 employees on 2024-04-04.

In April 2024, Agility Robotics, a well-funded Oregon-based company in the robotics industry, laid off a small number of employees as part of a strategic restructuring to sharpen its focus on commercialization. The company, known for its bipedal robot Digit, stated the cuts affected staff not central to core product development and commercialization efforts. This move aims to prioritize scaling production and meeting industrial demand, particularly in warehouse and automotive sectors, while continuing to add roles aligned with these goals. The layoffs occurred amid a broader industry shift and followed significant funding, including a $150 million Series B round with participation from Amazon's Industrial Innovation Fund.

Kaseya on 2024-04-03.

New Relic on 2024-04-03.

Ghost Autonomy, a company specializing in autonomous driving software, has laid off its entire workforce, effectively shutting down operations. The exact number of employees affected is not publicly specified, but the closure impacts the company's total staff. This decision comes as the company winds down its global operations, including in the United States, Germany, and Japan, citing challenges in the autonomous vehicle industry. The layoffs occurred in early 2024, reflecting broader difficulties in scaling and commercializing self-driving technology. Ghost Autonomy was a venture-backed startup operating in the automotive and AI sectors.

In April 2024, appliance giant Whirlpool laid off the entire team at Yummly, the recipe and cooking app it acquired in 2017. The exact number of employees affected was not disclosed, but the move represents a full workforce reduction for the Yummly unit. This decision signals a strategic shift away from human-powered editorial content and connected cooking experiences, as Whirlpool and other appliance brands increasingly explore generative AI for content creation and new features. The future of the Yummly property remains uncertain following these layoffs.

Amazon on 2024-04-03.

Rezi, a proptech rental platform, has shut down entirely after running out of money, effectively resulting in a 100% layoff of its workforce. The company, which had raised $30 million from investors, leased vacant apartments from landlords in cities like New York and Austin, aiming to rent them out faster using machine-learning technology. However, it failed to become profitable amid a broader downturn in proptech funding, with capital drying up and higher interest rates increasing financing costs. CEO Sean Mitchell cited the significant capital required to achieve scale as a key challenge. The closure in early April 2024 adds to a growing list of casualties in the real estate technology sector, where funding has sharply declined from $32 billion in 2021 to $11.4 billion in 2023.

Ranger Insurance, a startup in the insurtech industry, is shutting down due to a challenging fundraising environment, leading to layoffs of its entire workforce. While the exact number of employees affected is not specified in the post, the closure implies a 100% reduction as the company winds down operations. This event, shared by an employee in mid-2023, highlights the difficulties faced by early-stage companies in securing capital, ultimately resulting in the dissolution of the business.

Osso VR, a San Francisco-based virtual reality surgical training company, is laying off 67 employees at its corporate headquarters, with the cuts set to be completed by May 27, 2024. The layoffs significantly impact art and illustration roles, accounting for 30 of the positions eliminated. While the exact current employee count isn't specified, the company had 180 employees in March 2023, indicating this reduction represents a substantial portion of its workforce. CEO Greg Born stated the move aims to enhance operational efficiency and align resources with market demands, part of a strategic shift toward profitability amid a broader downturn in digital health funding. This follows leadership changes in February, including the appointment of Born as CEO, signaling a refocus on operational and strategic growth.

Apple lays off 614 employees in California after abandoning its electric car project and next-generation screen development. The layoffs were announced on March 28, 2024, affecting employees at eight locations in Santa Clara, marking the company's first major job cuts post-pandemic.

In March 2024, ChowNow, an online ordering platform for local restaurants, laid off approximately 30 employees as part of a restructuring following its acquisition of the Y Combinator-backed POS platform Cuboh. This reduced its total workforce to about 300 employees, representing a roughly 10% reduction. The layoffs were intended to streamline operations and integrate Cuboh's 30-person team, which transitioned entirely to ChowNow. This move came after a larger layoff of 100 employees in 2022. The company, which is profitable and has raised around $80 million, stated no further layoffs were planned, aiming to strengthen its POS integration solutions for restaurants.

GoPro representing approximately 4% of its workforce on 2024-03-26.

Synctera, a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) startup, laid off approximately 17 employees in March 2024, representing about 15% of its workforce, which reduced its total staff from around 113 to 96. The company confirmed the layoffs were part of a restructuring aimed at preserving cash and refocusing on its core business, including expanding SaaS offerings for banks and companies. This move aligns with a broader trend of VC-backed BaaS firms, such as Treasury Prime and Synapse, implementing similar staff reductions amid industry challenges. Synctera had recently secured an $18.6 million extension to its Series A funding, highlighting the ongoing adjustments within the fintech sector.

Dell Technologies has reduced its global workforce by approximately 13,000 employees, as disclosed in a March 2024 filing. This represents about 10% of its workforce, which stood at roughly 120,000 in early 2024. The layoffs are part of a broader cost-cutting initiative driven by nearly two years of sluggish demand for personal computers, which contributed to an 11% year-over-year revenue drop. Despite the cuts, Dell is forecasting a return to growth for its PC business in fiscal 2025, pinning hopes on AI-enabled devices and servers, while also navigating challenges from its changed commercial relationship with VMware.

Verily, Alphabet's life sciences unit, laid off approximately 35 to 40 employees this week as part of a restructuring within its molecular sciences group. The affected staff were working on the Immune Profiler project, which focuses on studying the human immune system to improve disease management. This move is part of an ongoing cost-cutting drive, following a larger layoff of over 200 employees (15% of its workforce) in January 2023. The company, which operates in the health tech and life sciences industry as one of Alphabet's "Other Bets," is striving to become a profitable business and is currently undergoing a separation from Alphabet's infrastructure, with a deadline set for the end of 2024.

Cybereason, a cybersecurity company, is preparing for its third round of layoffs, cutting dozens of jobs. This follows previous rounds that saw hundreds of employees terminated, part of a significant reorganization and new strategic plan. The company, which once neared a $5 billion IPO in 2021, has since experienced a dramatic 90% drop in valuation to around $300 million, along with CEO resignation and effective takeover by main investor SoftBank. Founded in 2012, Cybereason has raised $850 million and competes with firms like Crowdstrike.

Singular Genomics representing approximately 20% of its workforce on 2024-03-19.

Flock Freight laid off 54 employees on 2024-03-16.