Disney reportedly begins first round of layoffs in plan to cut 7,000 jobs

Disney this week will begin the first of three rounds of layoffs, according to a report from Deadline on Monday.

CEO Bob Iger has reportedly sent a memo to Disney employees about the start of the layoffs, which will cut roughly 7,000 jobs starting this week, with another round in April and a third round in the summer.

“In difficult times, we must always do what is required to ensure that Disney can continue to provide exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world — now and long into the future,” Iger wrote in the memo, according to Deadline.

It is unclear which areas of the company will be affected by the layoffs. Sources told Deadline Disney’s Parks, the streaming service Hulu and other areas of entertainment such as ESPN may be affected by layoffs.

Iger returned to Disney as CEO in November after the removal of Bob Chapek. In February, Iger indicated that the company planned to reduce the company’s workforce.

Layoffs have hit tech companies hardest in recent months. MicrosoftMeta and Amazon laid off thousands of employees in 2022 and announced more layoffs for 2023.

Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.