Every month we get the news that Netflix has hit record highs for subscribers, views, and money in its coffers. However, that benefits neither users, who have to put up with constant price hikes, nor workers. In fact, the streaming giant has just announced that it’s laying off another 1,000 people, in other words, 6% of its workforce. Great, huh?
Netflix, at a low ebb
Most of the cuts come from the product, technology, legal, and human resources areas, claiming that “Our mission is to entertain the world, and it’s ambitious. Carrying it out requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources“. Yes, that’s Ted Sarandos’s excuse, because saying “AI does it just as well as you do for less money” would’ve sounded awful. That’s where we’re at.
These cuts can be understood in a company at a low ebb, but in 2025 Netflix had revenue of $45.2 billion (16% more than the previous year) and this year it’s expected to reach $51 billion easily. So no, there’s no excuse for getting rid of 6% of your workforce.
The CEO has explained to those laid off that “We will continue investing aggressively in high-impact areas to improve our service and deliver growth and innovation. Doing that means making focused choices across business areas so we can keep delivering the best to our members, colleagues, employees, and investors”.
