Disney Layoffs Hit HR and Tech Staff in Third Round of 2026
Quick answer: The Walt Disney Company began laying off a few hundred employees on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, mostly in human resources and technology roles. It is the third round of job cuts this year under CEO Josh D'Amaro, following about 1,000 eliminated positions in April and several hundred more in July.
Key Takeaways
Disney started a new round of layoffs on September 29, 2026, affecting a few hundred employees, according to Deadline, Variety and Reuters.
The cuts fall mainly on human resources and technology staff, both in corporate teams and inside individual divisions.
This is the third wave of reductions in 2026 under CEO Josh D'Amaro, after roughly 1,000 roles went in April and several hundred more in July.
Deadline reported that the TV division and the film studio are largely spared this time.
Company leaders told shareholders in August that labor cost reductions were under review and that the work was still in progress.
The Walt Disney Company has started another round of layoffs, cutting a few hundred jobs concentrated in human resources and technology. The reductions began on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, according to reports from Deadline, Variety and Reuters, and mark the third wave of job cuts at the entertainment giant this year.
The latest move comes roughly six months after Josh D'Amaro took over as chief executive from Bob Iger, and it follows public signals from Disney's leadership that further savings on staffing were on the table.
Who is affected by the new Disney layoffs?
According to a source cited by Variety, the cuts are primarily in human resources and IT, spread across corporate teams and within different business divisions. Reuters, also citing a person familiar with the matter, described the affected employees as working in human resources and technology departments. Deadline, which first reported the news, put the number at a couple of hundred people and said this round is smaller than the two earlier ones in 2026.
Some parts of the company appear to be largely untouched. Deadline reported, citing sources, that Disney Entertainment Television is not affected by these reductions, even though that division is expected to undergo a significant restructuring under its new head, Debra OConnell. The same outlet said the motion picture studio is also mostly exempt from this wave.
Disney has not published an exact headcount for the latest cuts, and none of the reports named specific job titles or locations beyond the departments involved.
How many jobs has Disney cut in 2026?
This round adds to a string of reductions since D'Amaro became CEO in March:
April: About 1,000 positions were eliminated. Variety linked most of these to the creation of a combined enterprise marketing division led by chief marketing and brand officer Asad Ayaz, while Reuters said the April cuts also reached the studio and television businesses, ESPN, products and technology, and some corporate functions.
July: According to Variety, several hundred more roles were eliminated in some corporate functions, with Pixar, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and the studios among the areas hit. Most of the studio-side cuts were at Pixar, and most of the TV cuts were at National Geographic.
August: Disney offered early retirement packages to long-serving executives, as reported by Variety.
September 29: The current layoffs, focused on HR and technology.
Deadline added that the voluntary early retirement offer was open to employees at director level or above who were at least 50 years old and had at least 10 years with the company. The cooling-off window for people who accepted it closed this past weekend, sources told the outlet. Deadline noted that this kind of offer usually comes before involuntary cuts.
Why is Disney cutting jobs now?
Disney's top executives flagged the possibility of further reductions over the summer. In an August 5 letter to shareholders accompanying the June-quarter results, D'Amaro and chief financial officer Hugh Johnston said the company was looking at several levers to lower costs, including reductions in labor and in selling, general and administrative expenses. They described the effort as “mid-stream” and promised to share more on their progress later.
Reuters described D'Amaro's tenure as beginning during a period of change driven by artificial intelligence, falling box office revenue and tougher competition from streaming rivals. Deadline reported that staff across the entertainment business are uneasy because of pressure from large technology companies and the spread of AI tools.
Automation has also come up inside the company. Deadline said a September 18 memo from Horacio Gutierrez, Disney's chief legal and global affairs officer, told his team to expect hard staffing decisions and a much smaller department, and mentioned automating some workflows with new technology. According to Deadline, any cuts in that legal and global affairs group, which has just under 1,000 people worldwide, are separate from this week's layoffs.
How big is Disney's workforce?
For scale, Disney reported roughly 231,000 employees at the end of its 2025 fiscal year, according to Variety, Deadline and Reuters. Deadline and Reuters broke that down as about 172,000 in the United States and 59,000 in other countries. Deadline said 16% of the workforce is part-time and another 8% is seasonal, mostly because of the theme parks and resorts business.
That means the current round, measured in the hundreds, touches a small share of the total headcount. It is also well below the scale of cuts during Iger's return. Reuters reported that Disney cut 7,000 jobs in 2023 as part of a plan to save $5.5 billion, while Deadline said about 8,000 workers were let go between 2023 and 2025, with savings eventually reaching $7.5 billion.
What happens next?
Disney's leadership has already said the cost review is ongoing, so the shareholder letter leaves room for additional announcements. Deadline reported that the TV division is expected to go through a major restructuring under Debra OConnell, although it was not part of this round. Reuters also noted several senior leadership changes since D'Amaro took charge, including Paul Roeder being named chief communications officer.
No official timeline for future reductions has been published, and Disney has not publicly detailed severance terms for this round in the reports available so far.
What this means for you
If you work at Disney or a similar large media company, or you are job hunting in HR or tech, a few practical steps can help:
Check your paperwork: If you are affected, ask HR in writing about your final pay date, severance, health coverage options and any unused paid time off before signing anything.
File for unemployment quickly: Most states let you apply right after your last day, and waiting can delay benefits.
Update your profile now: Refresh your resume and LinkedIn with measurable results, such as systems you ran, projects you delivered or hiring you supported.
Build AI-related skills: With companies openly citing automation in their plans, showing that you can use and manage AI tools in HR or IT work can make your application stand out.
Look beyond entertainment: HR and technology skills transfer well to healthcare, finance, government and other sectors that may be hiring.
Tap your network: Former colleagues who left in earlier rounds may already know which employers are recruiting.
If you are still employed at a company going through cuts, it is a good time to document your contributions, keep your skills current and quietly prepare a backup plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people did Disney lay off on September 29, 2026?
Reports say a few hundred employees are affected. Deadline described it as a couple of hundred people, and Disney has not released an exact figure. The round is smaller than the two earlier waves this year.
Which Disney departments are affected by the layoffs?
The cuts are mainly in human resources and technology, both in corporate teams and within business divisions, according to Variety and Reuters. Deadline reported that the TV division and the film studio are largely not affected this time.
Is this Disney's first round of layoffs in 2026?
No. It is the third round under CEO Josh D'Amaro. About 1,000 positions were cut in April and several hundred more in July, and Disney offered early retirement packages to long-serving executives in August.
Why is Disney laying off employees?
In an August 5 shareholder letter, CEO Josh D'Amaro and CFO Hugh Johnston said the company was focused on reducing costs, including labor expenses, to free up money for growth. Reuters also pointed to AI, lower box office revenue and streaming competition as pressures on the business.
How many employees does Disney have?
Disney had about 231,000 employees at the end of fiscal 2025, according to Variety, Deadline and Reuters. Roughly 172,000 worked in the United States and 59,000 elsewhere.
Sources
This article was compiled from the sources listed above with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.