EBay is the latest e-commerce giant to announce layoffs due to the challenging macroeconomic environment.
Online retailer eBay will slash 1,000 jobs, or about 9% of full-time employees, in an effort to rein in expenses and headcount amid slower-than-expected growth.
“Despite facing external pressures … we know we can be better with the factors we control,” said Jamie Iannone, president and CEO of eBay, in a note to employees. “While we are making progress against our strategy, our overall headcount and expenses have outpaced the growth of our business.”
“To address this, we’re implementing organizational changes that align and consolidate certain teams to improve the end-to-end experience, and better meet the needs of our customers around the world,” he said.
All employees based in the U.S. were asked to work from home on Wednesday, January 24, while the company conducted its layoffs. EBay said it would communicate the news directly with affected workers via Zoom and that an email notification would be sent once the termination process is completed.
“These are not actions we take lightly — and we recognize the impact they will have on all eBayers,” said Iannone. “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.”
Despite the difficult changes, Iannone says the company is committed to treating everyone with respect and empathy and will provide impacted employees with support and resources through the transition.
“Ebay asked employees to [work from home] while they conducted layoffs via Zoom today. It’s already weird to get laid off via Zoom — been there — but now with people recording and posting their layoff calls, I wonder if this trend will change at all,” wrote user @BowTiedWrangler in a post on X.
While eBay is the latest Silicon Valley-based tech firm to announce layoffs, it’s unlikely to be the last, given ongoing macroeconomic headwinds. Earlier this month, Google said it was laying off hundreds of employees due to out-of-control costs and a revamped focus on artificial intelligence, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.