Technology

Snap to lay off 10% of global workforce, around 500 employees

Snap to lay off 10% of global workforce, around 500 employees

Co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. Evan Spiegel attends the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024. 

Nathan Howard | Reuters

Social media company Snap said on Monday that it would lay off 10% of its global workforce, or around 529 employees.

The Snapchat-maker’s shares were up around 1% in pre-market trading. The company has executed multiple rounds of layoffs since 2022, most recently in November, when it trimmed a small number of product employees.

The company expects it will incur charges ranging from $55 million to $75 million, according to a regulatory filing.

The company’s last major round of cuts was in August 2022, when it laid off 20% of staff and restructured its business lines.

Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The social media company is the latest tech company to continue cutting in 2024. Nearly 24,000 tech workers lost their jobs in January alone. Already this month, cybersecurity and identity company Okta and Zoom have laid off staff.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, one of several social media executives to face scrutiny over the damage that their platforms caused young people.

Investors generally support tech companies’ efforts to trim back headcount. Meta, for example, implemented a “year of efficiency” that saw brutal cuts to its workforce. The Facebook owner’s stock reached an all-time high after it reported strong earnings and announced its first ever dividend.

Amazon and Alphabet have also pursued similar headcount reductions.

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