Uber lays off 10% of its workforce in biggest cut since 2020
asserted
Uber → lay → 2020
-
Click here to listen to this article -
Uber is laying off about 3,300 employees, or about 10% of its workforce.
asserted
Uber → click → workforce
It is the deepest cut the ride-hailing giant that revolutionized on-demand taxis has made since the COVID-19 pandemic.
asserted
that → hail → pandemic
Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi announced the layoffs in a letter to employees Wednesday.
asserted
Khosrowshahi → announce → employees
The cut comes as Uber faces increasing competition from the growing robotaxi industry and other delivery services such as Instacart and DoorDash.
asserted
Uber → come → Instacart
Waymo announced today it received approval from California regulators to expand its service area across 18 counties, including the cities of San Diego and Sacramento.
asserted
it → announce → Diego
Waymo, the Alphabet-owned autonomous taxi company, is expanding rapidly and operates in 14 cities including Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.
asserted
Waymo → own → Angeles
Uber also competes with rival Lyft across the country.
asserted
Uber → compete → country
“We are removing layers, simplifying team structures, refining our global location strategy, and focusing our people and investments against the biggest opportunities ahead of us,” Khosrowshahi said in his letter.
asserted
Khosrowshahi → remove → letter
“This wasn’t a decision we made lightly.”
asserted
we → make → ?
Uber’s efforts to trim and streamline its workforce will lead to faster decision-making and clearer ownership, the company said.
asserted
company → trim → making
The San Francisco-based company employed roughly 34,000 workers in more than 70 countries as of its most recent annual report filed at the end of last year.
asserted
company → base → year
Bloomberg first reported that the cut will bring Uber’s headcount to below 30,000.
asserted
cut → report → 30,000
The ride-hailing service Uber announced a new feature Tuesday for teen accounts that will allow parents to view a live video of their child’s ride.
asserted
parents → announce → ride
Khosrowshahi said Uber spends too much time coordinating between teams and not enough time developing its business.
asserted
Uber → say → business
It has reduced roles focused primarily on coordination and cut the number of teams of just one to two employees by 50%.
asserted
It → reduce → %
“The outcome is a simpler org chart geared toward building versus managing,” Khosrowshahi said.
asserted
Khosrowshahi → gear → building
Uber also is asking most of its remote employees to return to the office, bringing the portion of fully remote employees to around 1%.
asserted
Uber → ask → %
Khosrowshahi said Uber will continue to enforce compliance with its hybrid work policy, which requires three days a week in the office.
asserted
which → say → office
Amazon’s robotaxi company Zoox will launch paid rides in Las Vegas on Monday after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration granted it a commercial exemption for purpose-built robotaxis.
asserted
Administration → launch → robotaxis
Uber shares rose more than 2% to around $77 in midday trading Wednesday.
asserted
shares → rise → trading
It has underperformed in the broader market, as its stock price has fallen around 6% this year while the Nasdaq Composite Index has risen more than 12%.
asserted
Index → underperform → market
Traditional ride-hailing faces what could be an existential threat from the rise of robotaxis, which developers say are safer and more efficient.
uncertain
developers → face → robotaxis
Amazon’s robotaxi effort Zoox, which utilizes a purpose-built vehicle with no steering wheel or gas pedal, started charging for its first paid rides in Las Vegas last month.
asserted
which → utilize → Vegas
Zoox also is testing in San Francisco and has a presence in 10 other cities, including San Diego and Miami.
asserted
Zoox → test → Diego
Last month, Uber and Lyft drivers in California took a significant step toward unionizing when the budding union secured support from 30% of active drivers in the state.
asserted
union → take → state
The union could be certified in less than 30 days as long as no other qualifying organization emerges.
uncertain
organization → certify → days
The Aporia
