Google is making cuts in its workforce while shifting focus to AI. Employees in its People Operations (HR) and cloud divisions were informed this week about job reductions as part of internal restructuring, CNBC reports. A memo from HR chief […]

The post Google lays off employees in HR and cloud units while doubling down on AI—Who’s next? first appeared on Tech Startups.

• A judge ruled OPM must retract memos calling for mass layoffs of probationary employees.
• The ruling follows a lawsuit against the Trump administration's federal workforce reduction.
• Charles Ezell, Acting Director of OPM, and DOGE employees could be ordered to testify in court.

A federal judge in California said on Thursday that the US Office of Personnel Management must withdraw memos calling for other federal agencies to terminate probationary employees en masse, stating that the OPM exceeded its legal authority.

US District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco said that except for its own employees, "OPM does not have any authority whatsoever, under any statute in the history of the universe," to direct another federal agency to fire their workers, and that OPM must notify other agencies that it did not have the power to issue such a directive.

"All efforts by OPM to enforce it are invalid, pending further order of the court," he added.

A spokesperson for the OPM declined to comment when reached by Business Insider.

The order issued by Alsup comes in response to a lawsuit filed last week by a coalition of five labor unions and five nonprofit organizations challenging the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce. The lawsuit is just one of several pushing back against the Trump administration's stance that the federal workforce is bloated and inefficient.

Plaintiffs argued that OPM had no legal authority to terminate probationary employees, generally meaning those with less than a year on the job, and that the firings were based on false claims of poor performance.

Government attorneys said in court that OPM did not mandate the firings but merely advised agencies to assess whether probationary employees met performance standards. They argued that these employees are not entitled to guaranteed employment and that federal agencies should prioritize retaining only top-performing and mission-critical staff.

Alsap could summon Charles Ezell, Acting Director of OPM, to testify in court under oath in March about his communications to agencies regarding terminating employees. DOGE office-affiliated employees can also be subpoenaed to court.

"I can't order what I'm about to say because we don't have the parties in front of me to give relief. But I'm going to count on the government to do the right thing and to go a little bit further than I have ordered," said Alsap shortly before adjourning the court, "and to let some of these agencies know what I have ruled because I would hate for probationary employees to lose their job and for the government to be compromised."

"This ruling by Judge Alsup is an important initial victory for patriotic Americans across this country who were illegally fired from their jobs by an agency that had no authority to do so," said Everett Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees. "These are rank-and-file workers who joined the federal government to make a difference in their communities, only to be suddenly terminated due to this administration's disdain for federal employees and desire to privatize their work."

• A former Meta employee was hired in 2022 and had positive reviews for two years.
• They were shocked when they received a "low performer" rating and were laid off on February 10.
• The former employee said they were worried the label could hurt their job search and felt betrayed.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a former Meta employee who worked at the company for 2 ½ years. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about future employment. Business Insider has verified their identity, employment, and performance reviews at Meta. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was hired by Meta in late 2022. During my time there, I received performance evaluations every six months, in which my ratings were always "at or above expectation" or "consistently met expectation." Of course, I received small tweaks and feedback that are normal in any review, but I never received any signal that I was a low performer or that I was trending downwards.

When Zuckerberg announced Meta would be laying off the lowest 5% of performers, I felt a general sense of anxiety, but I looked at the criteria they were going to apply and thought: "This doesn't apply to me. I've gotten really good ratings up to this point." I didn't consider I'd be in that bucket.

I woke up to a layoff email at 5 a.m., and by 8 a.m. I'd lost all access to chats

They sent an email at 5 a.m. PST, and by 8 a.m. we'd been locked out of our chats. I didn't get to say goodbye to my colleagues. The morning of my layoff, I felt despondent. I'd worked really, really hard to get this job, had worked long hours, and had put a lot of effort into supporting my team. I just felt this deep sense of defeat.

And then I got angry. I was livid, like transcendentally livid. I can't even really put into words how it felt. I'd lost so much — my confidence, my reputation, a substantial amount of unvested stock. I just remember being in bed, screaming into a pillow.

I felt betrayed by the company I'd worked for, and they destroyed my confidence in the process.

I have no idea how they decided I was a low performer

I haven't received any documentation explaining how they got my "low performer" rating, so I don't have any official idea of why this occurred. I didn't get a signal from my manager. I just received the rating and the termination letter stating I was being let go.

I'm so scared about how this "low performer" label will affect my ability to find a new job.

Right now, the zeitgeist is sympathetic to those of us who've been laid off, but I know it's going to impact future employment. It's already a tough job market, so I'm scared. I'm really, really scared.

Because Meta clearly labeled people affected as low performers, any hiring manager who looks at my end date will know. We are uniquely disadvantaged because this announcement was leaked and widely publicized.

For the first week after my layoff, I couldn't even fathom the idea of updating my résumé or looking for jobs. I felt so hopeless that I could hardly even motivate myself to get out of bed. I already struggled with imposter syndrome, and this felt like Meta threw salt in the wound. I'm going to have to rebuild my self-confidence, and that's going to take time.

I think this is going to be a moment to take a step back, recenter myself, and think about what I truly want for myself and my career. Right now, I know I value some sense of stability. I know no job is stable, but I really want my next role to be somewhere where I feel like leadership at least doesn't seem to have an openly hostile position toward its employees.

My opinion on Mark Zuckerberg has completely changed

I used to defend Mark Zuckerberg to people. I thought he was personable in company meetings and really funny. Now, I feel like that was just a facade.

Between the layoff, removing DEI initiatives, and changes around content moderation, Mark Zuckerberg seems to be testing how many decisions he can make without retribution. Because Meta is such a big player in the tech industry, I'm concerned the company is creating an environment where other employers will follow suit.

Tech used to be a place where companies took care of their employees and where we were supported, but now it feels like we're all in a meat grinder. It's really sad to see.

Meta could already be backfilling these roles

Meta laid off thousands of employees and said they were going to start filling many of those roles with new people.

I joined at a time when Meta's stock was lower, and like many of my coworkers, a portion of my compensation is tied to the value of the company's stock. I have questioned whether the low-performance label was a way to let expensive employees go.

I'm worried about speaking out for fear of retribution. I hope people are empathetic toward those impacted by layoffs six months or a year down the road.

Nobody knows how long we'll be looking for a new job. I've heard horror stories of people applying to hundreds of jobs for over a year. I don't think that's going to be my position, but it indicates how hard the market is right now.

I had a call with my dad the other day and told him I just don't know what to hope for right now. The rug was pulled out from under me. I don't know how to move forward from that.

Meta did not respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.

• Blue Origin CEO David Limp explained why the rocket company was laying off about 10% of workers.
• He said rapid growth led to bureaucracy; now it's thinning management layers and cutting engineers.
• The Jeff Bezos-owned company is joining tech's flattening trend.

Another Jeff Bezos-founded company wants fewer middle managers.

Bezos' rocket company, Blue Origin, said on Thursday that it was laying off about 10% of its workers and thinning out management layers.

"We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," CEO David Limp told employees in an email obtained by Business Insider.

"Sadly, this resulted in eliminating some positions in engineering, R&D, and program/project management and thinning out our layers of management," Limp added.

Blue Origin, founded by Bezos in 2000, has been playing catch-up with Elon Musk's SpaceX. On January 16, Blue Origin launched New Glenn, its first orbital rocket.

SpaceX developed its first orbital rocket, the Falcon 9 v1.0, in 2005. The rocket made its debut launch in 2010.

In December, Bezos told the journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times DealBook Summit that he thought Blue Origin was "not a very good business yet."

"I think it's going to be the best business that I have ever been involved in, but it's going to take a while," Bezos added.

The move by Limp, who worked for more than a decade at Amazon, echoes Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's desire to have fewer middle managers — part of a wider tech flattening trend.

Jassy told Amazon employees in September that he wanted to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15% by the end of March, which he argued would "decrease bureaucracy" and improve the company's speed.

Meta has made similar moves. In 2023, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company didn't want a structure "that's just managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work."

Read Blue Origin CEO David Limp's memo:

From: David Limp

Date: Thursday, February 13, 2025, at 7:10 a.m.

Subject: Difficult Org News — Changes To Our Team

Folks,

We just finished this morning's meeting, during which I gave an update on our organization. As I mentioned, we have made the tough decision to reduce our workforce by about 10%. The impact this has is not lost on any of us—we are saying goodbye to our friends and colleagues who have helped us build Blue into what it is today.

I know this is a lot to absorb, and I would like to explain how we got here. Over the last few months, as a leadership team, we have worked together to define our 2025 Annual Operating Plan and growth strategy. Our primary focus in 2025 and beyond is to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness, and efficiency for our customers. We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed. It also became clear that the makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities. Sadly, this resulted in eliminating some positions in engineering, R&D, and program/project management and thinning out our layers of management.

While I acknowledge that these messages are better delivered personally and individually, the reach of these changes across multiple locations and teams makes that difficult. We will notify impacted employees immediately via their work and personal email addresses of their status with Blue. We will also email employees who are not impacted to confirm their employment with Blue. Both emails will arrive by 7:30 A.M. PT/10:30 A.M. ET today. While our sites are open, I encourage you to work from home for the rest of the day if your role allows you to do so.

We are doing what we can to support everyone impacted. The email notifications will provide support details, which include severance packages, COBRA coverage, career support services, and access to counseling through our Employee Assistance Program.

Let me add that I am extremely confident in the enormous opportunities in front of us and have never been more optimistic about our mission. We will continue to invest, invent, and hire hundreds of positions in areas that will help us achieve our goals and best serve our customers. We will be a stronger, faster, and more customer-focused company that consistently meets and exceeds our commitments. This year alone, we will land on the Moon, deliver a record number of incredible engines, and fly New Glenn and New Shepard on a regular cadence.

To our colleagues who are impacted today, thank you so much for your hard work and passion for our mission. I hope we all support one another with grace and empathy while upholding our leadership principles during this time.

Dave

Just a month after Blue Origin successfully launched its long-delayed Glenn rocket into orbit, the Jeff Bezos-backed space company is reportedly preparing for its first round of layoffs. The move raises questions about its ability to compete with SpaceX, which […]

The post Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to lay off 10% of workforce as SpaceX dominates space race first appeared on Tech Startups.

Meta Platforms is gearing up for company-wide layoffs next week while fast-tracking the hiring of machine learning engineers, according to internal memos seen by Reuters. Employees set to lose their jobs will start receiving notices at 5 a.m. local time […]

The post Meta to begin company-wide layoffs next week, internal memo reveals shift toward AI hiring first appeared on Tech Startups.

General Motors is cutting about half of the remaining staff at its now-defunct Cruise robotaxi division. The decision follows GM’s announcement two months ago that it would stop funding Cruise after investing more than $10 billion since acquiring it in […]

The post Cruise lays off 50% of its workforce after GM cuts funding to robotaxi operations first appeared on Tech Startups.

• Scott Goodfriend was laid off from his $215,000-a-year Meta job in February 2023.
• He took his food tour side hustle full time and now makes $145,000 a year in revenue.
• Goodfriend says he misses the cushy salary, but Big Tech can't match building your own business.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Scott Goodfriend, 39, who runs Ultimate Food Tours. Business Insider verified his previous employment and financial claims with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I didn't expect my career path to take me from working on virtual reality at Meta to leading tour groups around New York, but I'm enjoying taking the risk and betting on myself.

In 2011, I moved from Los Angeles to New York, where I worked at We Are Plus making corporate videos. In 2016, I started at Edelman, a major PR and marketing firm, and climbed the ranks to executive producer, pioneering their augmented- and virtual-reality initiatives.

Working at Meta was my dream job

I wanted to pivot my skills into tech, so I started applying for jobs in 2022. I landed a job at Meta in July 2022. Working as an augmented-reality producer with a $215,000 salary felt like the crowning achievement in my career.

I was handed the reins on Meta's "real-time avatar" feature, where I ran the project's operations. I integrated workflow, managed the 3D design, and helped the team meet deadlines. Despite being a remote employee bridging both coasts, I thrived in a fast-paced, elite environment.

The sense of purpose I felt working at Meta was remarkable. We were pushing the boundaries of what was possible in the digital realm, and every day brought new challenges.

But Silicon Valley's volatility showed its face in November 2022 with mass layoffs. I thought I was safe working in a cutting-edge space like AR, but my role was eliminated, and I was placed on an internal redeployment plan. In February 2023, I was laid off, just eight months into what I thought would be a long-term journey.

My culinary side hustle was a saving grace

Fortunately, I was still making an income via my side hustle, Ultimate Food Tours. Since I moved to New York, I'd created and researched various food tours and would take groups of friends to the hidden gems I'd found. In November 2019, on a whim, I posted my first food tour on Airbnb.

Between November 2019 and the beginning of COVID-19 in March 2020, I received around four bookings. At the time, I charged $60 per person per tour, which included food and non-alcoholic drinks but excluded tips.

These tours, limited to 10 people, are a journey through time and culture. I wanted it to feel like exploring a city with a knowledgeable friend.

All of my prior supervisors, both at Meta and Edelman, encouraged my side hustle. I made $30,000 in 2022 doing food tours while employed at Meta.

After getting laid off, I received another offer at a tech job. The idea of having a stable income was enticing. I struggled with my decision, but after speaking to my parents and mentors, I knew it was time for a change.

I always kept my money from my food tours separate from my corporate salary. When I was laid off, I had roughly $20,000 from my food tour business to fall back on. I didn't have to touch my severance money at the time.

Being single, with savings in the bank, I turned my layoff crisis into an opportunity. Years of running tours as a side gig meant I had the experience and financial runway to take this leap. I already had deep relationships with my vendors and knew how to build relationships with other food personnel to promote my business.

Giving up a cushy tech salary was difficult

Trading the security of Big Tech for the unpredictability of entrepreneurship wasn't an easy choice. I miss the cushy corporate perks and a steady paycheck, but the thrill of building something meaningful feeds my soul in ways technology never could.

Losing my tech salary was a personal test. Spontaneous vacations and casual dinners out were replaced with budgeting and home-cooked meals. However, working in Big Tech taught me financial forecasting and operational management, which I now apply to my business.

I haven't matched my Meta salary yet, but the business made $145,000 in revenue this past year, and running costs are minimal. The tour guides I hire are all freelancers who get paid between $30 and $60 per hour per tour, excluding tips.

I don't draw a traditional salary and use the business funds to cover my essentials and the business's expansion. The freedom of building something makes up for the financial juggling act.

Being an entrepreneur is demanding but worth it

My days are split between understanding accounting software, coordinating with global affiliates for our expansion into Japan, and crafting tours that show a deep knowledge of local communities.

I have a team of four freelance tour guides that I work with in New York, two in Vegas, and one in Tokyo. I ensure that each tour is tailored to the group. On average, I work 60 hours a week. I do tours on top of running the marketing and business operations and ensuring my finances are in order.

The corporate world, with its predictable rhythms and clear career ladders, still appeals to me. But unless an extraordinary opportunity presents itself, I'm committed to Ultimate Food Tours.

I've learned I'll feel afraid whether I'm launching a business or taking on increased responsibility in a corporate role. The key is recognizing that every career path has its uncertainties, and the bigger risks will have greater payoffs.

• A Spotify layoff in December 2023 affected 17% of employees, including Sophia Omarji, a UX researcher.
• Omarji faced visa issues and a competitive job market before being forced to leave for Dubai.
• Still looking for her next role a year later, she's focused on skill development and networking.

In January 2023, I moved from the UK to Sweden for my dream job at Spotify. I'd been at the company since July 2022, when I joined as a user experience research intern, and secured a full-time associate role and later a promotion.

As a music psychology graduate, joining Spotify was a dream come true. I never expected to reach that point in my career fresh out of college — I assumed it would take years.

At the end of 2023, I was among the 17% affected by layoffs at the company I'd dreamed of joining. Since then, I've processed the reality of being laid off and navigated the emotional and professional challenges that come with it.

The year since has been anything but straightforward, from grappling with visa issues to navigating Sweden's competitive job market. It has also been a time of profound learning and unexpected growth.

On Monday, December 4, 2023, I received the email that changed everything

I woke up and rolled over to see two emails from work. One was sent to the whole company from Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, and another was sent from HR — an invite for a 15-minute individual meeting to discuss my role. Having been present for another round of layoffs earlier that year, I knew that I was about to be let go.

Every day at work had felt surreal and confirmed I was living out my aspirations. I loved the culture, people, and projects — the role excited me and built my passion further. I'd envisioned a long career at the company.

In the call, they told me my role was being made redundant, and they couldn't find me another position because of the scale of the reduction. I was given a three-month notice period but wasn't required to work from then on.

I felt a mix of disbelief, frustration, and pure heartbreak

It wasn't just about the job loss but the upheaval of everything I'd planned for the coming years. The uncertainty was further amplified by my work visa situation, being in Sweden as a British citizen, forcing me to navigate emotional turmoil and the post-Brexit bureaucratic maze.

With a ticking clock and no clear path forward, I felt paralyzed. I quickly realized that the emotional aftermath of losing a job was more complex than I'd anticipated.

I had to give myself the space to experience the stages of grief, mourning the loss of my sense of identity and future certainty alongside the feelings of rejection that accompanied it. Over time, I began to appreciate the value of giving myself time to adjust rather than rushing to fill the void.

I've learned how to embrace the discomfort of not having everything figured out immediately

It's easy to feel as if you're falling behind when you have no clear direction or routine, but I soon realized that growth often arises in moments of uncertainty.

I decided to focus on what I could still control. I leaned into the skills I'd developed at Spotify, such as data analysis, storytelling, and working with different stakeholders, and explored new avenues for applying them.

I couldn't find part-time work in Sweden because my work visa was revoked, leaving me in a sticky situation. Over the past year, I've focused on networking, attending conferences, and expanding my skill set through courses.

I've also honed my background in music psychology, searching for opportunities to share that expertise through workshops, speaking engagements, my blog, and my podcast.

Early-career professionals in the current job market face unique challenges

The pressure to progress quickly, build experience, and establish ourselves can feel overwhelming, especially in industries such as tech, where expertise is highly valued.

I've learned being junior doesn't mean being less capable — it's an opportunity to build a foundation of skills and knowledge that will support long-term growth. Young people bring fresh perspectives, adaptability, and a willingness to learn, and adaptability isn't just about adjusting to changes within your current role or industry — it's about being open to geographical and professional shifts that push you out of your comfort zone.

After my layoff, I could stay in Sweden for six months before ultimately having no choice but to leave Stockholm. I relocated to Dubai to be with my family.

The transition was difficult — I had to leave behind my partner, friends, and the life I had built. Adjusting to a long-distance relationship added another layer of complexity, but I learned that a new location doesn't have to limit opportunities.

I now see myself as a citizen of the world

I'm navigating life on the move and juggling pursuing my next job with quality time spent with family and friends, exploring new places, and focusing on personal and professional projects. My ultimate goal is to return to Sweden — or wherever the best opportunity takes me — so my partner and I can reunite and build the best life possible.

My goal for the year ahead is to find professional success. I'm open to similar roles and new directions if they align with my values. Whether it's in music psychology, UX research, or the broader tech industry, my focus is on meaningful and impactful work. As the world evolves, so will my career.

Do you want to share how your layoff affected you? Email Lauryn Haas at [email protected].

Amazon is cutting jobs in its communications and sustainability divisions as part of an internal restructuring, according to a memo from Drew Herdener, the executive overseeing both areas. CNBC, which reviewed the memo, reported that the layoffs are part of […]

The post Amazon lays off employees in communications and sustainability units in latest round of cuts first appeared on Tech Startups.

Stripe has laid off 300 employees, representing 3.5% of its workforce, with the majority of the cuts affecting roles in key departments including product, engineering, and operations, CNBC reported. Despite the layoffs, the payments giant—valued at around $70 billion in […]

The post Stripe lays off 300 employees, or 3.5% of its global workforce, amid major restructuring efforts first appeared on Tech Startups.

Despite Microsoft’s market valuation surpassing $3 trillion in 2024, fueled by rising AI demands, the Redmond giant continues to adjust its workforce strategy, cutting roles even as it eyes future growth. Microsoft confirmed on Wednesday it is laying off a […]

The post Microsoft is laying off more employees amid AI growth challenges first appeared on Tech Startups.

• Companies such as Meta, Microsoft, BlackRock, and Chevron are conducting layoffs.
• Artificial intelligence is reshaping some workforces.
• See the list of companies letting workers go in 2025.

Layoffs and other workforce reductions are continuing in 2025, following two years of significant job cuts across tech, media, finance, manufacturing, retail, and energy.

While the reasons for slimming staff vary, the cost-cutting measures are coming amid a backdrop of technological change. In a recent World Economic Forum survey, some 41% of companies worldwide said they expected to reduce their workforces over the next five years because of the rise of artificial intelligence.

Companies such as CNN, Dropbox, and IBM have previously announced job cuts related to AI. Tech jobs in big data, fintech, and AI are meanwhile expected to double by 2030, according to the WEF.

Here are the companies with job cuts planned or already underway in 2025 so far.

Adidas plans to cut up to 500 jobs in Germany.

Adidas said in January that it would reduce the size of its workforce at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, impacting up to 500 jobs, CNBC reported.

If fully executed, it amounts to a reduction of nearly 9% at the company headquarters, which employs about 5,800 employees, according to the Adidas website.

The news came shortly after the company announced it had outperformed its profit expectations at the end of 2024, touting "better-than-expected" results in the fourth quarter.

"Strong growth across all regions and divisions proves the good job our teams are doing across regions and functions," CEO Bjørn Gulden said in a press release. "So although we are not yet where we want to be long term, I am very happy with this development which was much better than we had expected."

In a statement to BI, an Adidas spokesperson said the company had grown "too complex because of our current operating model."

"To set adidas up for long-term success," the spokesperson said, "we are now starting to look at how we align our operating model with the reality of how we work. This may have an impact on the organizational structure and number of roles based at our HQ in Herzogenaurach."

The company said it is not a cost-cutting measure and that it could not confirm concrete numbers.

Ally is cutting less than 5% of workers.

The digital-financial-services company Ally is laying off roughly 500 of its 11,000 employees, a spokesperson confirmed to BI.

"As we continue to right-size our company, we made the difficult decision to selectively reduce our workforce in some areas, while continuing to hire in our other areas of our business," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said the company was offering severance, out-placement support, and the opportunity to apply for openings at Ally.

Ally made a similar level of cuts in October 2023, the Charlotte Observer reported.

BlackRock is cutting 1% of its workforce.

BlackRock told employees it was planning to cut about 200 people of its 21,000-strong workforce, Bloomberg reported in January.

The reductions were more than offset by some 3,750 workers who were added last year and another 2,000 expected to be added in 2025.

BlackRock's president, Rob Kapito, and its chief operating officer, Rob Goldstein, said the cuts would help realign the firm's resources with its strategy, Bloomberg reported.

Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos's rocket company, Blue Origin, is laying off about 10% of its workforce, a move that could affect more than 1,000 employees.

In a memo sent to staff in February and obtained by Business Insider, David Limp, the CEO of Blue Origin, said the company's priority going forward was "to scale our manufacturing output and launch cadence with speed, decisiveness and efficiency for our customers."

Limp specifically identified roles in engineering, research and development, and management as targets.

"We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed," Limp wrote. "It also became clear that the makeup of our organization must change to ensure our roles are best aligned with executing these priorities."

The news comes after last month's debut launch of the company's partially reusable rocket — New Glenn.

Boeing cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program

Boeing announced on February 8 it plans to cut 400 roles from its moon rocket program amid delays and rising costs related to NASA's Artemis moon exploration missions.

Artemis 2, a crewed flight to orbit the moon on Boeing's space launch system, has been re-scheduled from late 2024 to September 2025. Artemis 3, intended to be the first astronaut moon landing in the program, was delayed from late 2025 and is now planned for September 2026.

"To align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations, we informed our Space Launch Systems team of the potential for approximately 400 fewer positions by April 2025," a Boeing spokesperson told Business Insider. "We are working with our customer and seeking opportunities to redeploy employees across our company to minimize job losses and retain our talented teammates."

The company will issue 60-day notices of involuntary layoff to impacted employees "in coming weeks," the spokesperson said earlier this month.

Boeing cut 10% of its workforce last year.

BP slashed 7,700 staff and contractor positions worldwide.

BP told Business Insider in January that it planned to cut 4,700 staff and 3,000 contractors, amounting to about 5% of its global workforce.

The cuts were part of a program to "simplify and focus" BP that began last year.

"We are strengthening our competitiveness and building in resilience as we lower our costs, drive performance improvement and play to our distinctive capabilities," the company said.

Bridgewater cut about 90 staff.

Bridgewater Associates cut 7% of its staff in January in an effort to stay lean, a person familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

The layoffs at the world's largest hedge fund bring its head count back to where it was in 2023, the person said.

The company's founder, Ray Dalio, said in a 2019 interview that about 30% of new employees were leaving the firm within 18 months.

Chevron is slashing up to 20% of its global headcount

Oil giant Chevron plans to cull 15% to 20% of its global workforce by the end of 2026, the company said in a statement to Business Insider in February.

Chevron employed 45,600 people as of December 2023, which means the layoff could cut 9,000 jobs.

The move aims to reduce costs and simplify the company's business as it completes its acquisition of oil producer Hess, which is held up in legal limbo. It is expected to save the company $2 billion to $3 billion by the end of 2026, the company said.

"Chevron is taking action to simplify our organizational structure, execute faster and more effectively, and position the company for stronger long-term competitiveness," a Chevron spokesperson said in a statement.

The cuts follow a series of layoffs at other oil and gas companies, including BP and natural gas producer EQT.

CNN plans to cut 200 jobs.

Cable news giant CNN cut about 200 television-focused roles as part of a digital pivot. The cuts amounted to about 6% of the company's workforce.

In a memo sent to staff on January 23, CNN's CEO Mark Thompson said he aimed to "shift CNN's gravity towards the platforms and products where the audience themselves are shifting and, by doing that, to secure CNN's future as one of the world's greatest news organizations."

Estée Lauder will cut as many as 7,000 jobs

Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder said in its second-quarter earnings release on February 4 that it will cut between 5,800 and 7,000 jobs as the company restructures over the next two years.

The cuts will focus on "rightsizing" certain teams, and it will look to outsource certain services. The company says it expects annual gross benefits of between $0.8 billion and $1.0 billion before tax.

Kohl's is reducing about 10% of its roles

Department store Kohl's announced on January 28 that it reduced about 10% of its corporate roles to "increase efficiencies" and "improve profitability for the long-term health and benefit of the business," a spokesperson told BI.

"Kohl's reduced approximately 10 percent of the roles that report into its corporate offices," the spokesperson said. "More than half of the total reduction will come from closing open positions while the remainder of the positions were currently held by our associates."

Less than 200 existing employees of the company would be impacted, she added.

This follows the company's announcement on January 9 that it would shutter 27 underperforming stores across 15 states by April.

The retailer has been struggling with declining sales, reporting an 8.8% decline in net sales in the third quarter of 2024.

Its previous CEO, Tom Kingsbury, stepped down on January 15. The company's board appointed Ashley Buchanan, a retail veteran who had held top jobs in The Michaels Companies, Macy's, and Walmart, as the new CEO.

Meta is cutting 5% of its workforce.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff he "decided to raise the bar on performance management" and will act quickly to "move out low-performers," according to an internal memo seen by BI in January.

Those cuts started this month, according to records obtained by BI. Teams overseeing Facebook, the Horizon virtual reality platform, as well as logistics were among the hardest hit.

Previously, the company had laid off more than 21,000 workers since 2022.

Microsoft made performance-based job cuts in January

Microsoft cut an unspecified number of jobs in January based on employees' performance.

Workers were told that they wouldn't receive severance and that their benefits, such as medical insurance, would stop immediately, BI reported.

The company also laid off some employees in January at divisions including gaming and sales. A Microsoft spokesperson declined to say how many jobs were cut on the affected teams.

Salesforce is cutting more than 1,000 jobs

Bloomberg reported in February that Salesforce, a cloud-based customer management software company, will slash more than 1,000 jobs from its nearly 73,000-strong workforce.

Affected employees will be eligible to apply to open internal roles, the outlet reported. The company is currently hiring salespeople focused on the company's new AI-powered products.

The cuts come despite Salesforce reporting a strong financial performance during its third-quarter earnings in December.

Representatives for Salesforce did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Sonos cuts about 200 jobs

Sonos, a California-based audio equipment company, said in a February 5 release that it's cutting about 200 roles.

The announcement came nearly a month after Sonos CEO Patrick Spence stepped down from his position following a disastrous app rollout. The company's interim CEO Tom Conrad said in the statement that the layoff was part of an effort to create a "simpler organization."

"One thing I've observed first hand is that we've become mired in too many layers that have made collaboration and decision-making harder than it needs to be," Conrad said. "So across the company today we are reorganizing into flatter, smaller, and more focused teams."

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan announced in February that the company is laying off 15% of its corporate staff, or about 1,750 employees.

He said impacted workers will keep their pay, benefits, and bonuses through late April, when the separations will take effect.

The company told investors the cuts would provide a "partial year 2025 savings to be approximately $210 million and full-year 2026 savings to be approximately $300 million."

The move comes as Southwest tries to cut costs amid profitability problems. Jordan said this is the first significant layoff the company has had in its 53-year history.

An activist hedge fund took a stake in Southwest in June and has since helped restructure its board and change its business model to keep up with a changing industry. For example, it plans to end its long-standing open-seating policy to generate more seating revenue.

In recent months, the company has also reduced flight crew positions in Atlanta to cut costs.

Starbucks is laying off 1,100 corporate staff.

Starbucks will notify 1,100 corporate employees that they have been laid off on February 25.

CEO Brian Niccol said in a memo that the layoffs will make Starbucks "operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration."

The layoffs won't affect employees at Starbucks stores, the company said.

Niccol told employees that layoffs were on the way in a separate memo in January. The company is trying to improve results after sales slid last year.

Stripe laid off 300 employees.

Payments platform Stripe laid off 300 employees, primarily in product, engineering, and operations, according to a January 20 memo obtained by BI.

Chief People Officer Rob McIntosh said in the memo that the company still planned on growing its head count to about 10,000 employees by the end of the year.

The Washington Post cut 4% of its non-newsroom workforce.

The Washington Post eliminated less than 100 employees in an effort to cut costs, Reuters reported in January.

A spokesperson told the wire service that the changes would occur across multiple areas of the business and indicated that the cuts wouldn't affect the newsroom.

"The Washington Post is continuing its transformation to meet the needs of the industry, build a more sustainable future and reach audiences where they are," the spokesperson said, according to Reuters.

Workday cutmore than 8% of its workforce

Workday, the human-resources software company, said in February that it is cutting 8.5% of its workforce, or around 1,750 employees. The layoffs came as the company focuses more on artificial intelligence.

In a note to employees, CEO Carl Eschenbach said that Workday will focus on hiring in areas related to artificial intelligence and work to expand its global presence.

"The environment we're operating in today demands a new approach, particularly given our size and scale," Eschenbach wrote. He said that affected employees will get at least 12 weeks of pay.

Is your company conducting layoffs? Got a tip?

If you're an employee with a tip about coming job cuts, please contact Dominick via email or text/call/Signal at 646.768.4750. Responses will be kept confidential, and Business Insider strongly recommends using a personal email and a non-work device when reaching out.

• Jennifer Gittelman faces prolonged unemployment after a mass layoff in healthcare administration.
• Despite extensive job applications, Gittelman struggles with lack of responses and feedback.
• Gittelman has one regret which she believes may be impacting her ability to get a job

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer Gittelman, 44, from Philadelphia. It's been edited for length and clarity.

After a 20-year career in healthcare administration, I was part of a mass layoff in April. It sucked, but I remember thinking it would be OK. I figured if I started applying to jobs on July 1, there was no way I'd still be unemployed by the time my unemployment benefits ran out in October. I was wrong.

Here we are in December, and I've hardly done anything since July but apply for jobs all day, every day. As the weeks go by, it's been getting scarier and scarier.

My unemployment benefits ran out, and I'm pinching pennies to hold onto my savings. If I didn't have my 78-year-old mom to take care of, I think I'd just give up. But I can't and won't.

I've been in healthcare administration for pretty much my entire career

I worked at a Medicare DME supply company for 15 years before resigning in 2019 to relocate from Florida to Philadelphia. I take care of my mom, and I wanted to move her closer to our extended family.

I quickly landed a new role in medical staffing as a traveler support specialist. Six months later, the pandemic hit, and by November 2021, my entire branch was dissolved, and I was laid off. After an intense two months of job hunting, which I thought was forever at the time, I landed a job at a medical staffing company as a compliance and credentialing specialist.

I worked steadily there until April, when I was part of a mass layoff. Luckily, I was given a severance package and unemployment benefits through October, which helped cushion the blow.

I decided to rest for the next two months before applying for jobs in July. I haven't received any offers, and it's been a scary, disheartening time.

I've applied to countless jobs

Nearly all of my time, other than cleaning, grocery shopping, and volunteering for a nonprofit, is spent applying for jobs. I've searched through what feels like every job board possible: Indeed, GlassDoor, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and more obscure ones like PowerMyCareer, Monster, and PSG.

I've tried all the free job search memberships and even some paid ones. I've applied to more jobs than I can count and nothing has seemed to work.

It's frustrating because I feel like my résumé is pretty decent. In 20 years, I've only had three jobs, all in the same industry, and I have references from each place. I even have a letter of recommendation from a director at my last job.

I feel like employers have been unprofessional

For most applications, I'm not even getting a response from a human, let alone an opportunity for an interview. Typically, it's just an automated response saying the company is moving forward with someone else. There's no feedback, just rejection. It's insane.

I've had some interviews and a few that I thought went really well — we spoke for an hour, the employer asked lots of questions, we discussed pay, and they even told me I was moving on to the next round.

Then, I'd write them an hour later, thanking them for the interview, and I'd never hear back. The one time I got a written rejection from a person, I asked if it would be possible to provide some feedback as to why I was not chosen. I didn't get a response.

I don't get excited about interviews anymore because who knows what could happen.

I have one regret that might be making it harder to land a job

I didn't finish college, and that's the one thing I regret. I've thought about going back a lot over the years but I couldn't justify accumulating all those student loans when I was already making a solid salary.

Now I feel like maybe I should've gone back to school because, in today's competitive job market, it helps a lot to have a degree.

I feel like I'm in this gray area of being overqualified for regular customer service positions, but because I don't have a degree, I'm underqualified for higher positions, even though I'm technically qualified to do them.

If I get a job offer, I'm taking it

I'm getting more scared as the weeks go by. Before my unemployment benefits ran out, I'd go out and buy a coffee from time to time. Now I won't even grab something at a WaWa. I want to save every penny I can.

At this point, I'm not in a position to turn down any job. It took me forever to save the money I have, and at 44, I don't want to spend my entire savings being unemployed.

I always try to make Christmas really nice for my mom because, at her age, who knows when it's going to be her last. This year I told her I was sorry because I couldn't do that, and she was like "Are you crazy? Do you think I care about presents at this age?" I know she doesn't care, but I can't help but feel bad.

Sometimes, I think, "What if I didn't have my mom to take care of?" Maybe I would just give up, lay in bed, and become homeless. Having someone who depends on me makes it so I can't give up.

This time has been disheartening, but I won't give up.

If you've struggled to find a job since a layoff and would like to share your story, please email Tess Martinelli at [email protected].

• College football used to have a regular season and some bowl games you may or may not have watched.
• Now college football has its own playoffs — and this year, it is supersizing them.
• Can Americans invest even more time watching football? It's a good bet.

Are you ready for some college football? A lot of college football?

Doesn't matter. If you live in America and you're going to be around a TV over the next few weeks, it's going to be hard not to see college football.

That's because this is the first year college football is running a supersize version of its playoffs, featuring 12 teams, up from four. That means there are going to be 11 games — from Friday to January 20 — that are going to get a lot of attention from a lot of people.

The commercial calculation here is straightforward: National playoffs draw national interest for what is often a regional sport. So more national playoff games equals more interest.

That's why Disney's ESPN is paying $1.3 billion a year for the (mostly) exclusive rights to the playoffs. (Disney, somewhat weirdly, has sublicensed a few of the playoff games to its frenemy Warner Bros. Discovery's TNT network.)

ESPN's customers think the playoffs will be popular, too. The network says it has added dozens of new advertisers to its playoff lineup and is boasting about big increases in revenue.

But even before the first snap of the first game, the bulked-up tournament seems like it has already been a hit by boosting the pre-playoff games. Nielsen says regular-season ratings for college football were up 6% this fall compared with 2023 — and up 11% for adults ages 18 to 34.

In a world where traditional TV shrinks every year — and even more so with young viewers — that's quite a bump. And it's exactly what the media industry was hoping for.

"There were more games, throughout more of the regular season, that were meaningful and impactful for the playoff race," says Amanda Gifford, who heads up college football production for ESPN. "Almost every weekend, there were games that had impact."

That boost wasn't just confined to games on ESPN. Mike Mulvihill, who heads up analytics and strategic planning for Fox Sports and Fox broadcast, says his team thought about playoff implications as it was planning which regular-season games it would broadcast this year.

Early in the season, when it wouldn't be clear which schools were likely to compete for a playoff slot, Fox leaned on brand-name matchups, like Alabama vs. Wisconsin. But later in the season, when Indiana became a surprising playoff contender, Fox was delighted to broadcast its game against Ohio State.

I've seen the effects of expanded playoffs play out in real life: A couple of weekends ago, I spent the night with a bunch of middle-age dudes who were toggling between multiple college games, none of which featured Notre Dame, where they had all graduated. But they cared deeply about what happened in games like Texas vs. Georgia because the results could affect where the Irish would end up in the playoff. (Notre Dame ended up matched up against Indiana for the playoff's opening game).

So, if college football is winning, who's losing?

In theory, these games could end up competing with pro football, whose end-of-season games and early-round playoff season overlap with the college tournament. But you'd have to be a very brave person to bet against the NFL — the one thing Americans will watch on TV no matter what.

A much safer wager: College football's playoffs will destroy any remaining interest in all of the also-ran bowl games, which have already been steadily downgraded by fans and networks — some of which don't bother to send announcing crews to the games.

So sorry, Myrtle Beach Bowl. You, too, GameAbove Sports Bowl. And I'm from Minnesota, but I'm still not going to watch the Golden Gophers play Virginia Tech in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Who cares who wins any of those?

But on Saturday, in the first round of the playoffs, Penn State is playing Southern Methodist — a school I vaguely remember being kicked out of college football for paying players. Now it's essentially legal — and encouraged — and whoever wins gets into an even higher-stakes game 10 days later. Truth be told, I'm not a college football guy. But I'm in, anyway.

Correction: December 20, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the matchup for the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Minnesota is set to play Virginia Tech, not West Virginia.

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