Netflix is cutting approximately 1,000 jobs, or around 6% of its global workforce, in its largest round of layoffs since 2022. The reductions are expected to affect several departments, including human resources (HR), product, technology and legal.
The cuts were announced in an internal memo from co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters, reported by multiple news outlets on 14 October 2026. The executives said the company needed to make more focused decisions about how it allocates people and resources.
“Our mission, to entertain the world, is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritise our people and resources,” the co-CEOs said in the memo.
They added that Netflix remained on track to meet its full-year financial forecast and would continue investing in areas intended to improve its service, growth and innovation.
HR among the divisions affected
The planned reductions will affect Netflix's product, technology, legal and human resources teams. The inclusion of HR is notable because the department is often closely involved in managing workforce changes, employee communications and organisational transitions.
The company has not publicly detailed how many HR positions will be eliminated or how the reductions will be distributed across individual teams and locations.
The latest cuts represent Netflix's largest workforce reduction since 2022, when the company eliminated approximately 450 jobs across two rounds of layoffs. Those reductions followed a period of subscriber losses and business pressure.
Business pressures behind the cuts
The restructuring comes as Netflix faces intensifying competition for viewers and their time. The company is competing with established streaming platforms as well as digital services such as YouTube for audience engagement.
In September, Sarandos acknowledged that Netflix was not growing as quickly as the company wanted and said it was working to accelerate growth.
Despite the workforce reduction, the co-CEOs described the business as strong and growing. They said the company remained on track to meet its financial forecast while continuing to invest in areas considered important to its future.
The announcement also followed Disney's reported decision to eliminate around 300 positions, with HR and technology roles among those affected.
What the cuts mean for HR
The Netflix announcement highlights how workforce restructuring can extend into the HR function itself, including at large global companies.
For HR teams, such changes can create additional demands around workforce planning, employee communication, organisational design and supporting employees through transitions. At the same time, reductions within HR may affect the capacity available to manage these responsibilities.
Netflix has not disclosed a detailed breakdown of the roles affected or the full operational impact of the cuts. The announcement nevertheless illustrates how companies can reassess staffing across both business-facing and corporate functions while pursuing growth and cost priorities.
