JANUARY 25, 2024 — 1,000+ FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES PLUS ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS
The company has announced that it will lay off approximately 1,000 employees, or 9 percent of its full-time workforce, and an unspecified number of contractors “over the coming months.
President and CEO Jamie Iannone noted…
Team,
We are on a path to building a stronger eBay for the future — one that is growing, and resilient in the face of any challenge. Over the past three years, we made fundamental changes in our experiences across categories and accelerated the pace of innovation at eBay. In areas where we’re investing, we are seeing consistent increases in customer satisfaction and a meaningful improvement in our growth relative to the market.
Our strategy is the right one, but there is more we can do to ensure our success. We need to better organize our teams for speed — allowing us to be more nimble, bring like-work together, and help us make decisions more quickly. Today, I am sharing news about changes we are implementing to better position eBay for long-term, sustainable growth.
The most significant and toughest of these decisions is to reduce our current workforce by approximately 1,000 roles or an estimated 9% of full-time employees. Additionally, we plan to scale back the number of contracts we have within our alternate workforce over the coming months. These are not actions we take lightly — and we recognize the impact they will have on all eBayers. 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.
The Need for Change
Despite facing external pressures, like the challenging macroeconomic environment, we know we can be better with the factors we control. 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.
Next Steps
Shortly, we will begin notifying those employees whose roles have been eliminated and entering into a consultation process in areas where required. Leaders will communicate the news directly via Zoom, and your VP or eLT member will send an email once the notifications in their group have been completed.
We request that all U.S. employees work from home on January 24th to provide some space and privacy for these conversations. We’re committed to treating everyone with respect and empathy through this transition and providing impacted employees with support and resources.
Looking Ahead
These changes are difficult, but I’m confident that by working together we will become stronger than ever. In the months ahead, you will see a more focused, agile, and responsive eBay — one that is better positioned to advance our purpose of creating economic opportunity for all.
Thank you,
Jamie
FEBRUARY 10, 2023 — 500 LAYOFFS
The company plans to reduce its workforce by 4 percent, or 500 employees.
According to the company’s SEC filing…
CEO Jamie Iannone wrote a letter to employees announcing that eBay is eliminating jobs in response to the global macroeconomic environment.
“As a result of these considerations and our future-forward plans, I have some hard news to share. Over the next 24 hours, we’ll be letting approximately 500 employees globally know that their jobs will be eliminated. There is no easy way to communicate this — but I do want to share with you why we are making this decision. This shift gives us additional space to invest and create new roles in high-potential areas — new technologies, customer innovations, and key markets — and to continue to adapt and flex with the changing macro, e-commerce, and technology landscape..
JANUARY 27, 2020 — LAYOFFS IN CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON STATE
The company has announced that it laid off 102 employees in its San Jose, California, and San Francisco, California offices along with an unspecified number of layoffs in its Seattle, Washington offices.
According to a company spokesperson, “It is part of our normal course of business to regularly evaluate initiatives and investments for eBay’s continued long-term success. As a result, we are adding and removing positions as appropriate across the company.”
However, others see the hand of activist investors, especially Paul Singer’s Elliott Management Corp. and Starboard Value driving restructuring and cost-cutting decisions.
Ebay’s last layoff of note occurred in February 2019 when the company laid off 135 workers from four offices in California.
JULY 24, 2018 — Original post…
In an effort to improve company finances and return a greater value to shareholders, San Jose-based eBay has disclosed the termination of 300 employees in the Bay Area in a California WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice. However, according to published reports, the number can be up to 1,200, including some overseas workers, as the company acknowledged that the layoffs were in the single digits.
. It is believed that any cost savings would be applied to additional marketing efforts to shore up sagging market share. Some investors were suspicious of the timing of the layoff announcements, which appear to precede the announcement of a weak second quarter. It appears that part of the problem is that eBay’s customers are encountering “trust” issues with sellers offering counterfeit products, low-quality goods, and poor customer service.
Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?
