Disney Cuts Hundreds More Jobs in Third Layoff Round of 2026
The Walt Disney Company has laid off several hundred employees on September twenty-ninth, marking the third major round of workforce reductions this year under CEO Josh D'Amaro. The latest cuts primarily affect human resources and technology departments across corporate and divisional levels, though the company's television and film studios were largely spared. Disney had more than two hundred thirty thousand employees at fiscal year end two thousand twenty-five. The company cites cost reduction efforts to free up funds for growth investments. A September eighteenth memo from Disney's chief legal officer mentioned a "transformation process" involving automation and use of artificial intelligence. These layoffs follow approximately one thousand job cuts in April and hundreds more in July affecting Pixar, ESPN, and National Geographic. Company executives signaled in August that additional cost reductions were expected, and Disney has offered early retirement packages to some veteran employees as part of its ongoing restructuring strategy.
Key facts
- Disney cut approximately 300-several hundred employees on September 29, 2026, primarily in HR and tech roles
- This is the third major layoff round in 2026: April cuts eliminated about 1,000 jobs; July affected several hundred across Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and National Geographic
- Disney employed approximately 231,000 people at fiscal year end 2025, with 172,000 in the United States
- CEO Josh D'Amaro took office in March 2026, succeeding Bob Iger
- September 18 memo cited 'hard choices' about staffing and 'automating certain workflows by leveraging latest technologies'
- Company signaled in August that cost reductions were underway and additional updates would follow
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Left-leaning outlets frame Disney's layoffs as evidence of corporate exploitation and prioritization of shareholder profits over worker welfare. They highlight that the company continues cutting jobs despite generating massive revenues while executives maintain high compensation, viewing automation as a mechanism to strip workers of livelihoods without proportional benefit sharing.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning perspectives vary: some emphasize the company's need for efficiency and operational streamlining to boost profitability and remain competitive, viewing layoffs as appropriate market-driven business decisions. Others critique Disney's corporate size and special privileges, arguing the company has become too large and disconnected from free-market principles.
Limits of this briefing
Disney has not announced exact numbers for the September 2026 layoffs. Limited reporting from explicitly left-leaning or right-leaning outlets directly addressing the September 2026 cuts; perspective analysis partially relies on historical coverage patterns from these outlets on prior Disney layoffs and corporate restructuring issues.
Sources
- Variety: Disney Layoffs Cut a Few Hundred Employees in HR, Tech Departments Centre
- The Hollywood Reporter: Disney Cuts Hundreds More Jobs in New Round of Layoffs as Corporate Streamlining Casualties Mount Centre
- CNBC: Disney laying off around 300 employees in latest cuts under new CEO Josh D'Amaro Centre
- American Greatness: Disney Announces New Round of Layoffs, Cuts Hundreds of Jobs Right
- Deadline: Disney Hit By Layoffs In Multiple Areas, Hundreds Impacted Centre