Uber is cutting about 3,300 jobs worldwide as the ride-hailing giant moves to simplify a workforce that executives say has become too complicated as the company has grown.
The reduction amounts to roughly 10% of Uber’s global workforce and is the company’s largest round of layoffs since 2020. The restructuring will reach across the organization, with Uber reducing management positions, combining some teams and eliminating smaller groups that have accumulated as the business expanded.
The overhaul will also dramatically reduce remote work at Uber. The company plans to concentrate more of its workforce around major office hubs, including New York and San Francisco, while limiting fully remote positions to about 1% of employees. Most workers currently classified as remote will be expected to relocate within commuting distance of an Uber office.
The cuts come despite strong recent financial performance. Uber reported $14.2 billion in second-quarter revenue last month, up 12% from a year earlier, while operating income climbed 30% to $1.9 billion. Customers completed 3.9 billion trips during the quarter, an 18% increase, and the company said it added more first-time users during the previous 12 months than in any comparable period over the past five years.
Uber is simultaneously directing more attention toward the next phase of transportation, including autonomous vehicles. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has described autonomous technology as an important part of the company’s future, with Uber working to position its platform as a major marketplace for robotaxi operators. The company said the workforce restructuring is intended to simplify operations and free resources for future growth and innovation.
