Story perspectives

Uber Slashes 23% of HR Team, Limits AI Use

6/4/2026

Summary

Uber Cuts HR

Uber Technologies Inc. is cutting roughly 23% of its People and Places division, affecting about 1% of its 34,000-employee workforce.
The layoffs target HR and recruitment staff to simplify overlapping responsibilities and unclear ownership.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the cuts aim to boost People team effectiveness and the company’s future potential.
COO Andrew Macdonald said AI productivity gains lag spending, prompting $1,500-per-month soft limits on employee use of AI tools.

Summary

Uber Layoffs

Uber’s shares fell 0.6% to $71.21 by 10:30 a.m. ET on June 3 after announcing layoffs.
The company said it is still hiring for more than 800 roles, including positions to commercialize its robotaxi service.
Uber Freight ranked No. 16 on Transport Topics’ Top 100 largest logistics companies in North America.
A three-day-a-week office mandate introduced last June now applies to HR staff who previously worked remotely.

History

Historical Context

IBM’s 1993 restructuring, led by new CEO Lou Gerstner after an $8 billion loss, cut 35,000 jobs—the largest U.S. layoff then, following earlier 1991 spin-offs and a steep workforce decline. Over three decades later, Uber’s 2024 trim of about 23 % of its People-and-Places staff echoes the same cost-cutting playbook used by tech giants to reshape profit margins.

1 of 3

Uber Cuts HR

Uber Technologies Inc. is cutting roughly 23% of its People and Places division, affecting about 1% of its 34,000-employee workforce.
The layoffs target HR and recruitment staff to simplify overlapping responsibilities and unclear ownership.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the cuts aim to boost People team effectiveness and the company’s future potential.
COO Andrew Macdonald said AI productivity gains lag spending, prompting $1,500-per-month soft limits on employee use of AI tools.

1 / 3