Uber is laying off 23% of employees in its People and Places division — the unit that handles HR, recruitment, workplace facilities, and culture. The cuts affect fewer than 1% of Uber's 34,000 global workforce, with many senior roles included in the reduction.
Why the division was targeted
Jill Hazelbaker, recently promoted to president and chief corporate affairs officer, announced the restructuring as part of building what she described as a 'more connected, modern, operationally excellent organization.' The company explicitly stated the layoffs are not related to artificial intelligence, breaking from a common justification used by other tech firms this year. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the changes are necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the People team.
What the cuts mean for Uber's culture team
The People and Places division oversees not just hiring and benefits but also the office environments and internal culture programs. By cutting nearly a quarter of that staff, Uber is signaling a shift toward leaner internal operations. The company didn't specify which roles are eliminated, but affected employees are being notified this week.
Hiring continues — especially for robotaxis
Despite the cuts, Uber is still hiring for more than 800 open positions, including roles focused on commercializing robotaxis. The company recently said it would slow overall hiring while leveraging internal AI tools to improve efficiency. The layoffs come as Uber continues to push toward autonomous vehicle partnerships and self-driving technology deployment.
Uber's approximately 10 million drivers are classified as independent contractors and are not counted in the employee total, so the cuts don't directly affect them.
The broader question left unanswered: how will reducing the People team's size affect the company's ability to retain talent and maintain its culture, especially as it pivots toward autonomous transportation? No timeline has been given for when the restructuring will be complete.
