Layoffs in United States

Edmodo, a popular K-12 education technology platform, is permanently shutting down as of late August 2022, effectively laying off its entire workforce. The company, which had tens of millions of users and was acquired by China-based NetDragon Websoft in 2018, cited an inability to maintain a viable service level. Founded in 2008, Edmodo was a global tool recommended by UNESCO during the pandemic, but it struggled as a standalone free service. The closure raises significant data privacy concerns, though the company has committed to destroying user data. This marks the end of a once-prominent competitor to platforms like Google Classroom.

Sema4 laid off 250 employees representing approximately 13% of its workforce on 2022-08-15.

Blend, a California-based mortgage technology company, is laying off approximately 420 employees, representing 25% of its workforce, in two rounds during 2022 (200 in April and 220 in August). This drastic cost-cutting measure comes in response to a severe market downturn and a massive $478.4 million loss in Q2 2022, partly due to a $392 million impairment charge related to its Title365 acquisition. Facing historically low mortgage origination volumes expected to persist through 2025, the company is restructuring to focus on higher-return products and achieve significant annual savings. The layoffs are part of a broader strategy to streamline operations, including vendor contract reviews and offshoring, as the mortgage industry navigates a challenging economic environment.

ContraFect, a biotechnology company focused on infectious diseases, has implemented a workforce reduction following a significant setback in its clinical trial. The layoffs, announced on August 15, 2022, come as the company restructures its operations after its lead candidate, exebacase, failed to meet the primary endpoint in a Phase 3 study for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. While the exact number of employees affected was not disclosed, the cuts represent a strategic downsizing to preserve capital and extend the company's financial runway. This move is a common response in the volatile biotech industry when key clinical trials do not yield the desired results, forcing companies to re-evaluate their pipelines and operational scale.

ThredUp, an online resale apparel retailer, laid off 15% of its corporate workforce in August 2022 as part of cost-cutting measures amid widening quarterly losses. While the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed, the move came as the company anticipated a challenging economic environment with consumers reducing spending, particularly among discount-oriented shoppers. Despite reporting a 27% revenue increase to $76.4 million in Q2 2022 and growth in active buyers, ThredUp faced a contracting gross margin and a net loss that nearly doubled to $28.4 million. The layoffs were accompanied by the closure of a processing center, reflecting efforts to streamline operations while continuing to expand its resale-as-a-service platform for partner brands.

Almanac, a company in the technology sector focused on productivity and collaboration tools, laid off approximately 30% of its workforce this week. While the exact number of affected employees and total staff size were not specified, the reduction represents a significant downsizing. The layoffs were announced via a LinkedIn post, where a former colleague praised the talent of those impacted and encouraged hiring outreach. This move reflects broader challenges in the tech industry, where companies are restructuring to adapt to economic pressures and optimize operations.

Orbit, a community management platform, conducted layoffs yesterday, with CEO Patrick Woods announcing the departure of an unspecified number of teammates. The post expressed sadness and highlighted the talent of those affected, actively encouraging other companies to hire them by sharing a list of impacted individuals who opted in. While the exact scale of the layoff and the company's total employee count are not detailed in the post, the context suggests a difficult restructuring decision within the tech industry, aimed at helping the displaced professionals find new opportunities swiftly.

Core Scientific representing approximately 10% of its workforce on 2022-08-12.

Peloton, the connected fitness equipment maker, announced on Friday that it is cutting approximately 780 jobs as part of a major restructuring effort to reduce costs and achieve profitability. This layoff affects a portion of its workforce, though the exact percentage relative to total employees isn't specified in the article. The company is also closing a significant number of its 86 retail stores, exiting last-mile logistics by shutting warehouses, and shifting delivery and support roles to third-party providers. These sweeping changes, led by CEO Barry McCarthy, come as Peloton adjusts from its pandemic boom to slowing demand, aiming to eliminate fixed costs and leverage its customer base. Additionally, Peloton is raising prices on some equipment, like the Bike+ and Tread, while investors reacted positively, sending shares up 13.6%.

In August 2022, digital health unicorn Truepill conducted its third round of layoffs that year, cutting approximately 175 employees, which represented about one-third of its workforce. The company, valued at $1.6 billion, refocused on its core pharmacy operations after expanding into diagnostics and telehealth services. This restructuring followed regulatory scrutiny in the digital health sector and a need to secure further funding, marking a shift from its rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early August 2022, supply chain visibility startup FourKites laid off approximately 60 employees, representing nearly 8% of its workforce. The layoffs were part of a strategic consolidation following several acquisitions, including the sunsetting of its unprofitable ocean shipping platform, Haven. The company, which serves major clients like Coca-Cola and Walmart, simultaneously secured a $30 million investment, part of a larger funding round, highlighting a period of restructuring to integrate acquired technologies into a single global platform.

Calm laid off 90 employees representing approximately 20% of its workforce on 2022-08-11.

Vedanta Biosciences representing approximately 20% of its workforce on 2022-08-10.

Homeward, a real estate technology company offering a "buy before you sell" service, has laid off approximately 20% of its workforce. CEO Tim Heyl announced the cuts in a letter to employees, citing a sudden and more severe market shift than expected. Despite reporting strong performance in May and the second quarter, the company found itself overstaffed for the current forecasted growth. Heyl attributed the decision to significant market headwinds, including inflation, sustained high home prices, and rising mortgage rates, which have reduced revenue from its core cash-buying product. The layoffs occurred as Homeward aims to adapt to a potentially prolonged softer real estate market. Affected employees are receiving severance based on tenure, extended health benefits, outplacement support, and waived non-compete clauses. The company reaffirmed its commitment to improving the homebuying experience despite the restructuring.

In August 2022, VC-backed aperitif startup Haus announced it was shutting down and putting its assets up for sale after its Series A funding round collapsed. The company, which had raised $17 million and achieved over $10 million in revenue, faced insurmountable challenges in securing further venture capital, largely due to "vice clauses" that deter many investors from backing alcohol brands. Additional pressures from the pandemic—including supply chain disruptions and the loss of in-person social marketing—hindered growth for its direct-to-consumer, low-ABV aperitif business. With traditional VC avenues closed, Haus turned to debt financing but ultimately could not sustain operations, leading to its closure and the layoff of its entire team.

GoHealth, a Chicago-based health insurance marketplace, laid off 800 employees on August 10, 2022, representing a significant reduction in its workforce. The company, operating in the insurtech industry, cited a challenging market environment and the need to streamline operations as reasons for the cuts. This move reflects broader adjustments within the technology and insurance sectors as companies adapt to economic pressures and shifting consumer demands.

Israeli video cloud platform Kaltura announced on August 9, 2022, that it is laying off 10% of its workforce as part of a cost-reduction and reorganization plan. Based on its reported 758 employees at the end of 2021, this reduction impacts approximately 76 people, with 30 of those layoffs occurring in Israel. The company, which provides video management systems and went public in 2021, cited a challenging macroeconomic outlook and the need to realign operations for greater efficiency and productivity. This move comes as Kaltura faces a significant stock price decline and a hostile takeover bid from rival Panopto, aiming to return to profitable growth.

Israeli fintech unicorn Melio laid off 60 employees, primarily from its U.S.-based sales and customer success teams, in August 2022. The company, which had raised $250 million at a $4 billion valuation the previous year, cited a strategic shift in product priorities as the reason for the workforce reduction. While parting with these team members, Melio emphasized its commitment to treating affected employees thoughtfully with severance and support, and stated it would continue hiring for its R&D teams to pursue new strategic opportunities.

Absci laid off 40 employees on 2022-08-09.

Berkeley Lights, a biotechnology company specializing in single-cell analysis, laid off approximately 20% of its workforce in early 2024 as part of a restructuring effort following its acquisition by Bruker. The layoffs, which affected around 80 employees, were implemented to streamline operations and integrate the company into Bruker's Cellular Analysis division. This move reflects broader consolidation trends in the life sciences tools industry, where companies are optimizing their structures post-acquisition to enhance focus and reduce redundancies. Berkeley Lights, known for its Beacon platform, continues to operate within Bruker, aiming to advance its technology for therapeutic discovery and development.

Shift Technologies, a used car e-commerce platform, announced a workforce reduction as part of its updated business plan following its merger with CarLotz. While the exact number of layoffs was not specified, the cuts are a result of operational changes aimed at achieving profitability by 2024. The company, operating in the automotive retail industry, is shifting focus to its most profitable online sales channel and optimizing its inventory, which includes reducing its physical footprint. The announcement was made in August 2022 as Shift merged with CarLotz to combine assets and strengthen its market position.

On August 9, 2022, cloud computing and hyperconverged infrastructure company Nutanix announced a workforce reduction of approximately 270 employees, representing about 4% of its total staff. This decision followed a review of its business structure and other cost-cutting measures, positioning the layoffs as part of the company's strategic efforts to streamline operations and achieve profitable growth. The majority of the reductions were expected to be completed by the end of the fiscal quarter on October 31, 2022, with the company anticipating related pre-tax charges between $20 million and $25 million for severance and termination benefits.

Quanterix laid off 130 employees representing approximately 25% of its workforce on 2022-08-09.

Sweetgreen, a fast-casual restaurant chain in the food and beverage industry, laid off 5% of its support center workforce in mid-2022 as part of cost-cutting measures. The layoffs, announced alongside a downsizing to a smaller office, were driven by weaker-than-expected sales that began around Memorial Day, attributed to summer travel, a slow return to offices, and new COVID-19 cases. The company, which had around 2,800 total employees at the time, also lowered its annual revenue forecast. These steps were taken to reduce operating expenses and move toward profitability amid a challenging post-pandemic market environment.

DataRobot, a Boston-based AI startup, is conducting another round of layoffs under its new interim CEO, Debanjan Saha. While the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed, this follows a previous cut in May that eliminated 7% of its then 1,000-plus workforce. The company, which once reached a $6.3 billion valuation, is scaling back after over-expanding its operations last year in anticipation of an IPO. The decision is attributed to changed market realities, a weaker economy, and missed revenue targets. This restructuring comes amid leadership changes, including the recent resignation of the former CEO.

Vroom laid off 337 employees on 2022-08-08.

On August 8, 2022, Chicago-based e-commerce company Groupon laid off over 500 employees, representing approximately 15% of its 3,416-person workforce. The cuts impacted various teams, including merchant development, sales, recruiting, engineering, product, and marketing. CEO Kedar Deshpande cited that overall business performance was below expectations, prompting decisive actions to improve the company's trajectory. As part of a restructuring, Groupon is focusing solely on mission-critical activities, reducing its North America sales teams to emphasize self-service merchant acquisition, closing its Australia Goods business, and rationalizing its real estate footprint. The company aims these measures, alongside reinvestments in marketing, to achieve positive cash flow by the end of 2022, amidst a challenging market and increased competition in the online deals space.

Warby Parker, the direct-to-consumer eyewear retailer, laid off 63 corporate employees in early August 2022, representing a small percentage of its overall workforce, as the company aimed to navigate a challenging macroeconomic environment. The job cuts, which excluded customer-facing retail and lab roles, were part of a broader effort to operate more efficiently and focus on high-impact opportunities amid slowing growth and rising costs. This move followed a disappointing first quarter with unexpected losses, reflecting wider pressures in the retail and DTC sectors, where companies like Allbirds and Shopify were also reducing headcount.

Daily Harvest, a New York City–based frozen vegan food delivery startup valued at $1.1 billion, laid off 15% of its workforce in early August 2022. The cuts, which were planned prior to a major food safety crisis, were attributed to broader inflationary pressures and a slowing economy affecting many startups. This reduction occurred as the company grappled with a severe public relations and operational challenge stemming from its recalled French Lentil + Leek Crumbles, which reportedly sickened hundreds of customers, led to hospitalizations, and triggered multiple lawsuits. The layoffs reflect both internal economic adjustments and the external fallout from the product safety issue that amplified on social media.

Snap is planning to lay off employees, but the article does not specify the number of affected employees, total employees, reason, or announcement date.

iRobot laid off 140 employees representing approximately 10% of its workforce on 2022-08-05.

Talkdesk, a Portuguese-founded unicorn in the cloud contact center industry, has laid off a single-digit percentage of its global workforce as part of a restructuring effort. With approximately 2,100 employees worldwide, this reduction likely affects fewer than 200 people. The company cited the need to align resources with its strategic priorities and the current economic climate, including performance-based cuts. This move follows similar adjustments by other Portuguese tech unicorns. Talkdesk maintains over 1,000 professionals in Portugal and recently secured $230 million in funding.

Slync.io, a Goldman Sachs-backed supply-chain technology startup, laid off an unspecified number of employees on August 5, 2022, following months of financial turmoil. The layoffs occurred across various departments, coming just hours after the company finally paid overdue wages that had been delayed for nearly three months. Concurrently, the board terminated CEO and cofounder Chris Kirchner, who had been suspended the previous week amid the company's liquidity struggles and his controversial personal activities, including attempts to buy a football club. Interim president Tim Kehoe had foreshadowed this restructuring, citing efforts to stabilize the company's finances. The layoffs, part of a broader leadership and operational shake-up, reflect the severe cash-flow challenges faced by the startup in the competitive logistics tech industry.

RingCentral laid off 50 employees on 2022-08-04.

Jam City laid off 200 employees representing approximately 17% of its workforce on 2022-08-04.

On Deck, a tech startup that connects founders with resources and networks, laid off 73 full-time employees in August 2022, representing about a third of its staff. This followed a previous round of layoffs just months earlier, where a quarter of employees were cut. The company, which had grown rapidly to serve over ten thousand founders and professionals, cited a need to refocus after expanding too broadly across multiple communities. As part of the restructuring, On Deck spun off its career advancement arm and sunsetted several programs, including a climate tech fellowship. Affected employees received eight weeks of severance, accelerated option vesting, and healthcare coverage.

10X Genomics laid off 100 employees representing approximately 8% of its workforce on 2022-08-04.

Cannabis-tech company Weedmaps laid off approximately 10% of its workforce in early August 2022, affecting around 60 employees out of a total of 606 full-time workers at the end of 2021. The decision, communicated by CEO Chris Beals, was driven by a significant slowdown in legal cannabis sales in key markets like Colorado and California, rising fuel costs, and broader economic concerns pointing to a potential recession. Beals acknowledged misjudging the market's recovery timeline. The layoffs aim to help the company navigate ongoing industry turbulence and achieve profitability amid a challenging period for the cannabis sector, which has seen Weedmaps' stock drop over 55% this year.

Doma laid off 250 employees representing approximately 13% of its workforce on 2022-08-04.

StubHub, a major online ticket marketplace, laid off approximately 30 employees in early 2024 as part of a restructuring effort to streamline operations and improve efficiency. The cuts represented a small percentage of its global workforce, which numbers in the thousands. The move reflects broader adjustments within the live events and e-commerce industry as companies adapt to post-pandemic market conditions and focus on technological investments.

Medly, a pharmacy and healthcare delivery company, laid off approximately 16% of its workforce in a difficult round of cuts. The layoffs, announced by an executive in a LinkedIn post, affected employees across all departments, including product managers, designers, and software engineers. The decision was described as the hardest day of the executive's career, indicating internal restructuring or economic pressures as the likely context. The company, which operates in the competitive health-tech industry, undertook this reduction to streamline operations, though the exact total number of employees impacted was not specified in the announcement.

Beyond Meat laid off 40 employees representing approximately 4% of its workforce on 2022-08-03.

The Org, a professional community platform, laid off 13 employees from its New York-based team this week. This reduction, driven by the challenging economic climate, led the company to cut activities not directly supporting its core strategy. The layoffs affected roles across Revenue, Recruitment/Executive Search, and Editorial/Content Strategy/Journalism. While the total employee count and exact percentage were not disclosed, the company emphasized its commitment to supporting departing colleagues with severance, extended healthcare, financial planning assistance, and career networking aid.

Latch, a smart building software company, announced a workforce reduction on August 2, 2022, as part of a plan to improve operating efficiency. The layoffs affected approximately 115 employees, representing about 37% of its full-time workforce at the time. This move is aimed at refocusing the company on higher-margin activities and aligning its organizational structure with its business size. The reduction is expected to contribute to significant annualized operating savings, following similar changes announced earlier in May 2022.

Stedi, a company in the technology and API integration industry, recently conducted a layoff affecting an unspecified number of employees. The exact scale of the workforce reduction, including the total number of employees or percentage impacted, was not detailed in the available information. The layoffs appear to be part of broader operational adjustments, though the specific reasons and context remain unclear. The event occurred recently, but a precise date was not provided. Stedi operates as a smaller-scale tech firm focused on streamlining business integrations through APIs.

Outreach, a sales execution platform company in the B2B software industry, has laid off less than 5% of its workforce as part of operational adjustments to its strategic growth plan. While the exact number of affected employees is not specified, the reduction involves a small number of roles on certain teams, with the company simultaneously funding new positions elsewhere. CEO Manny Medina stated that this difficult decision, made to ensure focus on the company's mission and to weather upcoming economic challenges, will help Outreach extend its market leadership. The layoffs occurred recently, with the company emphasizing its commitment to supporting the impacted employees in their job searches.

The Predictive Index, a company specializing in talent optimization and behavioral assessments, laid off 40 employees on Tuesday due to a reduction in force (RIF). While the exact total number of employees and percentage affected are not specified in the post, the layoffs impacted a group described as highly vetted professionals with strong cognitive and behavioral alignment to their roles. The event highlights the ongoing challenges within the tech and HR technology sectors, even for companies that emphasize values like teamwork and empathy. The post aims to support affected colleagues by showcasing their qualifications and connecting them with new opportunities.

Streaming-TV provider FuboTV conducted a small workforce reduction in its U.S. business on August 2, 2022, as part of a broader effort to adopt a more conservative approach to growth amid a deteriorating macroeconomic environment. The company, which operates in the competitive media and sports streaming industry, stated the layoffs were a difficult decision to ensure financial flexibility and focus on profitable growth. While the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed, the move reflects the challenges faced by the sports-focused, publicly-traded company, which has yet to achieve profitability despite significant revenue growth. The layoffs were effective August 15, coinciding with a period of increased scrutiny on media and sports stocks during an economic downturn.

On August 2, 2022, Nylas, a communications API platform company in the technology industry, announced a significant workforce reduction. The company's co-founder and CEO, Gleb Polyakov, stated that due to shifting economic dynamics and the need to ensure considerable financial runway during the downturn, the decision was made to lay off 80 employees. This reduction was framed as a strategic realignment to position the company with ample resources and flexibility to navigate the uncertain market and be ready for a future recovery. The leadership emphasized treating impacted employees with compassion, offering a severance package including two months of base pay, extended healthcare, job support, and other benefits.

Seegrid laid off 90 employees on 2022-08-02.