Disney layoffs: New CEO announces major job cuts in HR and tech roles - 5 things to know
The Walt Disney Company is implementing workforce reductions affecting nearly 300 employees as part of its most recent restructuring initiative since Chief Executive Officer Josh D'Amaro assumed leadership earlier in the year, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, as per CNBC.
Disney's job cuts are set to affect nearly 300 employees amid ongoing restructuring led by CEO Josh D'Amaro. (AFP)Disney latest layoffs: 5 things to knowAccording to the CNBC source, who requested anonymity due to lack of authorization to make public statements, the preponderance of these reductions targeted positions within human resources and technology departments.The company's television division and motion picture studio remain unaffected by the ongoing staff reductions, as per Deadline.The job cuts are comparatively less drastic than the April workforce reductions implemented by Disney, which eliminated 1,000 positions shortly following D'Amaro's assumption of the CEO role from Bob Iger. Throughout the summer months, Disney also terminated employment for several hundred personnel across Pixar, National Geographic, and ESPN divisions.Disney operates as an extensive multinational corporation that maintained a workforce exceeding 231,000 individuals as of the conclusion of fiscal year 2025. Of this total, 172,000 employees are based within the United States, while 59,000 represent the international workforce.Disney layoffs under CEO Josh D'AmaroIn April, Disney announced plans to eliminate approximately 1,000 positions as D'Amaro undertook a restructuring of its enterprise marketing operations, according to CNBC reporting at that time. Additional workforce reductions were implemented in July, during which the organization decreased its employee count by several hundred across various corporate departments, including Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and Disney's studio divisions, as documented by multiple media outlets. The preponderance of these reductions were concentrated within Pixar and National Geographic.
During its August earnings presentation, Disney disclosed forthcoming cost reduction initiatives, stating the organization was examining strategies to optimize expenditures. Meanwhile, Disney commenced offering accelerated retirement incentive packages to senior-level executives with extended tenure at the company.
“We remain highly focused on reducing costs across the enterprise to create incremental capacity to invest for growth and are evaluating a variety of levers, including reductions in labor and SG&A,” Disney stated in that report. “We are mid-stream in this work and will provide future updates on progress.”
D'Amaro assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer at Disney in March, succeeding long-serving chief executive Bob Iger, and has established a strategic initiative referred to as "One Disney" designed to enhance coordination among the company's diverse divisions and consolidate complementary business units.
The objective is to establish an integrated operational framework that synthesizes Disney's intellectual property across its film, streaming, theme park, consumer goods, gaming, and sports divisions, according to D'Amaro's statements.
Disney, alongside other established media enterprises, stands at a critical juncture as streaming and digital entertainment reshape the conventional media sector. To remain competitive and pursue strategic investments, the company has implemented cost reduction measures and organizational restructuring across its divisions.
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More
