Tech and media layoffs August 2024 update: Paramount Global, Dell, LegalZoom, Axios cut jobs
A number of high-profile firms in the tech and media sectors are significantly reducing their workforces. Here’s what to know.
It hasn’t been a good month for job security in the media and tech industries as numerous companies have announced layoffs since the beginning of August. Intel was the first big name to announce job cuts when the chip giant on August 1 said it would lay off around 15,000 of its staff—or about 15% of its total workforce.
But since then, more companies in both tech and media have announced layoffs. Here are some of the latest ones to have done so.
Dell Technologies
On Monday, Dell Technologies Inc. confirmed to Bloomberg that earlier reports that it was preparing to lay off employees were correct. A spokesperson told the publication, “Through a reorganization of our go-to-market teams and an ongoing series of actions, we are becoming a leaner company.”
However, according to a more recent report from SiliconAngle, the number let go could be quite high. Citing a source who is close to the matter, SiliconAngle says Dell may be planning to lay off as many as 12,500 workers, or about 10% of its staff.
Fast Company reached out to Dell to confirm the figure and will update this post if we hear back.
Whatever the final number of layoffs may be, Dell is cutting jobs to reduce its operating costs while also restructuring teams at the company to reprioritize where it invests its resources.
LegalZoom
The online legal document company on Wednesday announced it would lay off 15% of its global workforce in a restructuring effort. The move is being made in an effort to save about $25 million a year.
Eventbrite
Events and ticketing platform Eventbrite is laying off about 100 employees, or 11% of its staff, reported Business Insider on Thursday. The move is aimed at cost reductions as the company lowered its fiscal-year 2024 revenue outlook.
“In light of the reduced revenue outlook and in keeping with our commitment to financial discipline, we have taken decisive action to significantly reduce operating expenses,” the company said in a letter to shareholders.
Axios
On the media side of things, Axios announced this week that it would be laying off 50 employees, or about 10% of its staff.
The layoff announcements were handled poorly. Axios made the bizarre choice of formatting its internal memo to employees about the layoffs in the same way it formats its articles.
Why it matters: “We’re eliminating about 50 positions to get ahead of tectonic shifts in the media, technology, and reader needs/habits,” the internal memo about the job reductions read.
The formatting of the memo was quickly lambasted on social media. As Fast Company wrote, “We’ve already entered the era of the branded apology. So perhaps the era of the branded layoff was only the next logical step.”
Paramount Global
But the largest round of media layoffs this month so far has been Paramount Global. (September 19, 2024), the entertainment giant announced that it would lay off about 2,000 employees, or about 15% of its U.S. workforce, noted Variety.
The layoffs come as the company is desperately trying to cut costs after it revealed a massive operating loss on a nearly $6 billion write-down of the value of its cable networks, which includes Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(3)