Variety is reporting that The Walt Disney Company is laying off several hundred employees globally across multiple teams.
The teams being affected handle marketing for both film and TV, publicity, casting and development as well as corporate financial operations. Disney is positioning the cuts as enhancing its ability to operate more efficiently. No teams are being eliminated with the job cuts.
The exact number of Disney Cast who are losing their jobs is unknown. The cuts come just a few months after Disney laid off nearly 200 employees across their TV and ABC News operations in March, following a similar reduction in October 2024. Last September, the company laid off 300 across multiple corporate departments, including Human Resources, legal and finance in the United States.
In July 2024, about 140 employees in the television division, primarily affecting National Geographic, Freeform and locally owned TV stations were let go.
The layoffs over the past year appear to be more surgical than the major cost-cutting moves the company made in 2023 shortly after Bob Iger returned as Disney CEO. Other rounds of layoffs two years ago ultimately cut more than 8,000 jobs (after initially targeting a reduction of 7,000.)
As of September 28, 2024, Disney reported having approximately 233,000 employees, of which roughly 171,000 were employed in the U.S. That was up from a total headcount of 225,000 a year earlier.
Disney had topped Wall Street earnings forecasts set for the first three months of 2025. Iger said the company remains “optimistic” about its current fiscal year guidance, projecting earnings per share to be up 16% year over year. For the fiscal year ending in September 2025, Disney also expects double-digit increases in operating income for its entertainment and sports segments, and 6%-8% growth in operating income for its theme park and consumer products business.
What do you think of this reduction in staff at The Walt Disney Company? Are you affected by these layoffs or know someone who is? Let us know in the comments.
