Disney Lays Off Hundreds in Third 2026 Workforce Cut

The Walt Disney Company laid off approximately 300 employees in its human resources and information technology departments on October 1, 2026. This marks the third round of job cuts this year under CEO Josh D'Amaro, who assumed the role in March. Previous reductions included 1,000 marketing and corporate roles in April and several hundred positions in July affecting ESPN, Pixar, and National Geographic.

These cuts are part of a "One Disney" vision to centralize fragmented business units and prioritize streaming customers over traditional television brands. The company also implemented a voluntary early retirement program for director-level employees aged 50 or older with at least ten years of tenure. Additionally, the legal and global affairs unit is being reduced due to automation.

President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden described the layoffs as "extremely painful" during the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles. Walden stated the restructuring is necessary to eliminate silos created by previous acquisitions and to remain agile against competition from technology companies. CFO Hugh Johnston previously informed shareholders that the company is focused on reducing costs across the enterprise to create capacity for growth investments.