Uber cuts 3,300 jobs in global restructuring

Uber is cutting 3,300 jobs worldwide, its largest workforce reduction since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the ride-hailing and delivery company moves to strip out management layers, combine smaller teams and redirect spending toward core businesses and autonomous vehicles.

The layoffs amount to about 10% of Uber’s global workforce and will return staffing to roughly the level last seen in 2021. The BBC reported that the cuts will bring Uber’s headcount back to just under 30,000 employees.

In a memo to employees Wednesday, Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said Uber had expanded quickly but built up too many layers and small teams that slowed decision-making. He said the restructuring would leave the San Francisco-based company better positioned for the “biggest opportunities ahead of us.”

The cuts will affect managers and non-managers. Uber has not confirmed which locations will be hit hardest. The company also plans to fold many of its smallest teams into larger groups and cut in half the number of “micro-teams” where managers had only one or two direct reports, according to the memo cited by Al Jazeera.

“A leaner organisation will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating,” Khosrowshahi told employees.

Uber said the overhaul is meant to make the company “simpler” and “faster,” while freeing up money for areas it considers central to its future. Khosrowshahi said Uber wants to “build the autonomous future” and “invest even more in drivers, couriers and merchants.”

The restructuring comes as Uber increases investment in autonomous vehicle partnerships and expands its ride-hailing, delivery and robotaxi operations. Al Jazeera reported that Uber plans to invest $10 billion in building its robotaxi presence, even as it faces pressure from other companies in the sector. Waymo operates driverless cars through Uber in Atlanta and Austin, Texas, but is expanding into other markets without Uber, while Tesla is also moving into the robotaxi market. Tesla is set to hold an event for its Cybercab robotaxi in Austin on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported.

Uber is also tightening its office policy. Khosrowshahi told employees that nearly all staff will be expected to work in person at designated hubs, saying that “going forward, only ~1% of employees will be remote.”

The latest layoffs follow other cost-cutting steps. Al Jazeera, citing Bloomberg, reported that Uber eliminated 10% of its customer service roles in July as it embraced artificial intelligence. The company also announced a hiring slowdown in May, which it also attributed to AI, according to Al Jazeera.

Unlike many large technology companies that have cut staff while spending heavily on artificial intelligence, Uber had avoided major reductions since the pandemic, the BBC reported. Analysts said the latest layoffs could generate up to $2 billion in annual savings.

The cuts come despite revenue growth. Uber’s annual revenue rose 18% between 2024 and 2025 to $52 billion, according to its most recent annual report cited by Al Jazeera. Revenue growth moderated in the second quarter of 2026, but still rose 12% to $14.2 billion, according to earnings released last month.

Uber shares rose after the announcement. The BBC reported the stock was up nearly 2%, while Al Jazeera said it was up more than 1.6% in midday trading Wednesday, though still down 8% for the year.

The layoffs add to a broader wave of technology-sector job cuts. According to Layoffs.fyi, cited by Al Jazeera, more than 123,000 employees have been laid off at nearly 290 tech companies in 2026.