Disney lays off several hundred employees in latest wave of cuts — HR and IT among those affected

Walt Disney is laying off several hundred employees across several divisions, including the human resources and information technology (IT) departments, as Reuters reports, citing Variety magazine, which based its Tuesday reporting on a source familiar with the matter.

The move comes during a period of deep transformation for the entertainment giant, after Josh D’Amaro took over as chief executive in March. Since then, the company has seen several changes at executive level, including the appointment of Paul Roeder, a 25-year company veteran, as chief communications officer, Reuters writes.

D’Amaro took the helm of the company in a period marked by artificial intelligence, falling box office revenues and ever fiercer competition from streaming rivals, according to Reuters. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Disney had around 231,000 employees at the end of fiscal 2025 — around 172,000 in the United States and 59,000 outside it. In April, the company cut around 1,000 positions in the marketing group, which had been reorganised in January, as well as in the studio and television business, ESPN, products and technology and some corporate functions. Last year, several hundred employees were laid off in film and television marketing, television publicity and the casting and development divisions; while in 2023 the company cut 7,000 jobs as part of a $5.5 billion savings plan under former chief executive Bob Iger.