Netflix layoffs: 1,000 employees eliminated ahead of quarterly earnings results; biggest cut since 2022

Netflix is laying off about 1,000 employees, approximately 6% of its staff. The company battles slowing growth, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

As per WSJ reports, Co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos told staff in an e-mail that most of the cuts will land in product, technology, legal, and human resources. It’s Netflix’s biggest round of layoffs since 2022, when the company cut hundreds of jobs during a subscriber slump.

An unexpected move

Netflix has reportedly avoided huge cuts in its workforce. This move marks a large shift in its policy. As of 2025, the company had around 16,000 full-time employees. Thus, eliminating around 1,000 employees represents a sizable cut for a company that has avoided mass layoffs for years.

Why is Netflix cutting jobs?

It is to be noted that this decision comes a week ahead of the company’s quarterly results.

The streaming giant has had a tough year on Wall Street, with a loss of over 40% in its shares. Investors raised eyebrows over viewer engagement as it reported a mere 2% increase in the initial months of 2026.

What Netflix executives have said

On September 30, while acknowledging the pressure at Bloomberg’s Screentime summit, co-CEO Sarandos said that the company isn’t growing as fast as he wants it to, while also maintaining that the business is growing fine.

Forbes reported that the executives said the cuts reflect a need to prioritize staffing and financial resources while continuing to invest in growth.

FAQs

1. Why is Netflix laying off around 1,000 employees?
   Netflix is laying off approximately 1,000 employees, or 6% of its staff, due to slowing growth and a need to prioritize staffing and financial resources while investing in future growth.
2. Which departments will be affected by Netflix's layoffs?
   The layoffs at Netflix will primarily impact the product, technology, legal, and human resources departments.
3. When does Netflix plan to announce its quarterly results in relation to the layoffs?
   Netflix's decision to lay off employees comes a week ahead of its quarterly results announcement.