Disney Cuts Hundreds More Jobs in HR and Tech Under CEO Josh D’Amaro

Walt Disney Co. has initiated a new round of layoffs targeting several hundred employees in human resources and technology, continuing a multi-year restructuring effort aimed at streamlining corporate operations under CEO Josh D’Amaro. The reductions mark the latest phase in a broader workforce optimization strategy that has touched nearly every division of the entertainment conglomerate since early 2023.

Unlike previous cuts that heavily impacted creative studios and content production, this wave focuses on back-office infrastructure and support functions. Industry analysts view the shift toward trimming HR and tech roles as a signal that Disney is moving beyond content rationalization and into operational consolidation. This phase often follows initial headcount reductions, as companies seek to flatten management layers and reduce administrative overhead after merging or reorganizing business units.

D’Amaro, who assumed the chief executive role in March, has overseen a transformational period defined by the integration of artificial intelligence into workflows, declining theatrical box office returns, and intensifying competition in the streaming sector. The current layoffs align with a mandate to create a leaner organization capable of funding high-cost investments in next-generation media technology while maintaining profitability in legacy businesses.

This action follows a series of significant workforce adjustments throughout 2026. In April, the company eliminated approximately 1,000 positions within its marketing group, studio division, ESPN, and product teams. July saw further reductions across Pixar, Disney Studios, and Disney Entertainment Television. Additionally, an August voluntary early retirement program targeted senior leaders aged 50 and older with at least a decade of tenure, offering separation pay and continued benefits to encourage departures without involuntary terminations.

The cumulative effect of these measures represents a substantial contraction from the company’s fiscal year 2025 baseline of roughly 231,000 employees worldwide. While Disney previously cut 7,000 jobs in 2023 under former CEO Bob Iger to achieve $5.5 billion in cost savings, the current reductions appear less about emergency cash preservation and more about structural realignment for long-term efficiency.

Targeting technology and human resources specifically suggests an effort to right-size support staff relative to a smaller overall workforce. When companies reduce headcount significantly over multiple years, the ratio of administrative staff to revenue-generating employees can become unbalanced if back-office functions are not adjusted proportionally. Correcting this imbalance is typically necessary to sustain margin improvements achieved through earlier creative and operational cuts.

Disney shares traded at $104.94, down 0.5%, reflecting investor caution amid ongoing organizational changes. Market reaction to restructuring news at mature media companies has been mixed in recent quarters, as Wall Street weighs short-term severance costs against potential long-term margin expansion. The company has not disclosed specific financial targets tied to this latest round of cuts or provided a timeline for when restructuring-related expenses will cease.