Disney is cutting more jobs. The company announced Tuesday that it is laying off a few hundred employees across multiple departments, according to Variety, which confirmed the move. This is the third round of cuts this year under recently appointed CEO Josh D’Amaro.
The layoffs are primarily in Disney’s human resources and IT departments, both corporate and within different divisions, according to a source familiar with the cuts. D’Amaro took over as CEO earlier this year and has moved quickly to reduce costs across the company.
What the CEO Said
In announcing results for the June 2026 quarter, D’Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston indicated that more job cutbacks were coming. They wrote in an Aug. 5 letter to Disney shareholders: “We remain highly focused on reducing costs across the enterprise to create incremental capacity to invest for growth and are evaluating a variety of levers, including reductions in labor and SG&A,” the latter referring to selling, general and administrative expenses.
“We are mid-stream in this work and will provide future updates on our progress,” the execs added.
The April Cut
Disney in April eliminated about 1,000 roles, primarily as a result of D’Amaro’s formation of a consolidated enterprise marketing division under the leadership of Asad Ayaz, chief marketing and brand officer. That consolidation brought together marketing functions across the company.
The July Round
In July, Disney made further job cuts, eliminating several hundred jobs across certain corporate functions, including at Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and Disney’s studios. The majority of the layoffs on the studios side were within Pixar, and the majority of cuts in the TV group were at National Geographic.
Early-Retirement Packages
In August, Disney offered early-retirement buyout packages to longtime executives, as part of its ongoing cost-cutting efforts.
The Scale of the Company
Disney reported having about 231,000 full- and part-time employees as of September 2025 (the end of its fiscal year). The layoffs Tuesday were first reported by Deadline.
The company has now cut nearly 1,500 jobs across three rounds this year. The pattern across the rounds differs: the April cut was driven by the consolidated enterprise marketing division, the July cut hit corporate functions including Pixar and National Geographic, and Tuesday’s cut is in HR and IT.
What This Means for Workers
For employees who receive notice today, the news is immediate and difficult. A few hundred layoffs across corporate HR and IT means managers are walking around with new information they did not have yesterday.
The pattern suggests that Disney is not done. D’Amaro said he is “mid-stream in this work,” and the company will provide future updates on its progress. That language leaves room for more cuts down the road.
The Business Case
Disney’s stated reasoning is straightforward: reduce costs to free up money for growth. The company is evaluating reductions in labor and SG&A, which covers selling, general and administrative expenses.
The cuts are part of a broader strategy to consolidate operations and reduce overhead. By combining marketing functions under Ayaz, Disney aims to streamline how it spends money on promotion and branding.
Whether the cuts will actually drive growth is an open question. Cost reduction is necessary but not sufficient for turning around a struggling business. The company also needs to find ways to generate revenue.
The Timeline So Far
- April: About 1,000 roles eliminated, primarily due to the consolidated enterprise marketing division led by Asad Ayaz.
- July: Several hundred jobs cut across corporate functions, including Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and Disney’s studios.
- August: Early-retirement buyout packages offered to longtime executives.
- Tuesday: A few hundred employees laid off across HR and IT departments, per Variety’s confirmation.
Key Facts Box
- Layoffs announced: Tuesday
- Jobs cut: A few hundred
- Departments affected: Human resources and IT, both corporate and within divisions
- CEO: Josh D’Amaro, recently appointed
- April cut: About 1,000 roles
- July cut: Several hundred jobs
- Total cuts this year: Nearly 1,500
- Employees as of Sept. 2025: About 231,000 full- and part-time
- Announced by: D’Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston in an Aug. 5 letter to shareholders
What We Make of It
Disney is cutting jobs at a rate that feels relentless. Three rounds in one year is a steady stream of bad news for workers, and the company shows no sign of slowing down.
The cuts are rational in the abstract. Reducing administrative overhead frees up cash for investment. But for the people losing their jobs, the logic is cold comfort.
The company has not said whether these are the final cuts. D’Amaro’s language about being “mid-stream” suggests there may be more to come.
What is clear is that Disney is changing shape. The company is shedding layers of management and consolidating functions, and the people in those layers are paying the price.
This is not a one-off event. It is a process, and the process is still underway.
Source material: “Disney Makes More Job Cuts, Laying Off a Few Hundred Employees,” Variety.
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