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# eBay layoffs: about 9% of staff to go in second round this year
- URL: https://bullquill.com/ebay-to-cut-9-percent-of-workforce/
- Published: 2026-10-21T15:46:49.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:13:33.000Z
- Description: CEO Jamie Iannone told staff eBay will cut about 9% of its workforce to simplify operations. Estimates range from about 1,000 to 1,100 jobs, following February's 6% cut and a year in which the shares have risen nearly 40%.
- Author: Rowan Ashby
- Tags: Business, #lang-en, #tr-ebay-to-cut-9-percent-of-workforce

## Key takeaways

- eBay plans to cut about 9% of its workforce, its second round of layoffs in 2026\. Chief executive Jamie Iannone announced the cuts in an internal memo first reported by Reuters on October 21, and an eBay spokesperson confirmed them.
- eBay has not published a job count, so estimates differ. Reuters puts the cut at roughly 1,100 roles, based on the approximately 12,300 people eBay employed at the end of 2025\. CNBC reported roughly 1,000.
- In February, eBay cut about 800 jobs, or roughly 6% of its staff at the time.
- The cuts come while the business is growing. Second-quarter revenue and gross merchandise volume both rose 15% from a year earlier, and Reuters says the shares are up nearly 40% this year.
- eBay is expected to report third-quarter results on October 28, which will be the first chance for investors to hear management explain the cuts on an earnings call.

## What eBay confirmed

eBay layoffs will affect about 9% of the company's global workforce, according to a memo from CEO Jamie Iannone first reported by Reuters on October 21, 2026\. An eBay spokesperson confirmed the cuts, the second round of layoffs this year.

Iannone described the move as a choice made from strength rather than a response to weak results. "Our strategy is working," he wrote in the memo, according to Reuters. He added that capturing the opportunity ahead requires the company to make careful choices about where it focuses and invests.

In a statement published by CNBC, a company spokesperson said the step "was taken to ensure we continue to operate from a position of strength." CNBC also reported that eBay will keep hiring in priority areas. In a separate statement to the trade publication Value Added Resource, eBay said it is aligning teams and resources with its top strategic priorities. The company has not said which teams, functions or countries will be affected most, or how many contractors, if any, are included.

## Why the job estimates differ

The 9% figure comes from the memo, but eBay has not published a headcount number for this round, so news outlets calculated it themselves. Reuters, followed by outlets including The Globe and Mail, BNN Bloomberg and Ireland's RTÉ, estimated about 1,100 jobs. That calculation uses eBay's annual report, which says the company employed approximately 12,300 people worldwide at December 31, 2025, about 7,200 of them in the United States. CNBC reported a figure of roughly 1,000.

The gap appears to come down to which baseline is used. The year-end 2025 count was taken before the February layoffs. If 9% is applied to a workforce that had already shrunk by about 800, the result is closer to 1,000\. Until eBay discloses an exact number, both figures should be treated as estimates. The company's next quarterly filing or its earnings call may give more detail, including the size of any restructuring charge.

### The two 2026 rounds compared

| Item                | February 2026 round                                                    | October 2026 round                                                                  |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Share of workforce  | About 6%                                                               | About 9%                                                                            |
| Jobs affected       | About 800                                                              | About 1,100 (Reuters) / about 1,000 (CNBC); eBay has not given a figure             |
| Stated aim          | Streamlining operations (Reuters)                                      | Simplify operations and shift resources to faster-growing areas (memo, via Reuters) |
| Reference headcount | About 12,300 employees worldwide at December 31, 2025 (eBay Form 10-K) |                                                                                     |

Sources: Reuters via BNN Bloomberg and The Globe and Mail; CNBC; eBay Form 10-K for fiscal 2025.

## A growing business that is still cutting

The layoffs follow a strong first half by eBay's own measures. In its second-quarter results, released on August 5, 2026, the company reported revenue of $3.13 billion and gross merchandise volume of $22.4 billion. Both were up 15% from a year earlier, or 14% on a currency-neutral basis. Active buyers rose 2% to 136 million. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share were $1.60, compared with $1.36 a year earlier.

For the third quarter, eBay guided revenue of $3.07 billion to $3.12 billion and gross merchandise volume of $22.0 billion to $22.4 billion. That guidance includes Depop, the fashion resale app. eBay closed its acquisition of Depop on July 30 and paid about $1.4 billion in cash after preliminary adjustments. Reuters noted that eBay's August forecast for third-quarter revenue came in above Wall Street estimates.

| Metric (Q2 2026)         | Value               | Change vs Q2 2025           |
| ------------------------ | ------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Revenue                  | $3.13 billion       | +15% (+14% FX-neutral)      |
| Gross merchandise volume | $22.4 billion       | +15% (+14% FX-neutral)      |
| Active buyers            | 136 million         | +2%                         |
| Non-GAAP diluted EPS     | $1.60               | +17%                        |
| Q3 2026 revenue guidance | $3.07–$3.12 billion | 8% to 10% FX-neutral growth |

Source: eBay second-quarter 2026 earnings release (Form 8-K exhibit 99.1, August 5, 2026).

The company has focused on categories where it believes it has an edge, including authenticated luxury goods, collectibles and refurbished products. At a Goldman Sachs conference in September, according to Value Added Resource, Iannone and chief financial officer Peggy Alford named consumer-to-consumer selling, AI, the live-shopping service eBay Live and vehicles as growth areas. The memo's reference to shifting resources toward faster-growing areas suggests that spending will be concentrated on those priorities, though eBay has not said so in detail.

## Shares, pressure from GameStop and the earnings date

Investors have rewarded eBay this year. Reuters reported that the stock had gained nearly 40% so far in 2026, compared with about 12% for the S&P 500, and that the shares were down 1.8% in premarket trading after its report on Wednesday morning (data as of about 13:07 UTC, October 21, according to Reuters).

The company has also been under outside pressure. In May, GameStop chief executive Ryan Cohen made an unsolicited offer for eBay worth about $56 billion. eBay rejected it, calling it "neither credible nor attractive," according to Reuters. Value Added Resource reported that Cohen's proposal included about $2 billion in annual cost cuts, and that GameStop has since raised its stake in eBay to about 9.8%. eBay has not said whether that pressure played any part in the latest restructuring, and there is no public evidence that it did.

eBay is expected to report third-quarter results after the market closes on Wednesday, October 28, according to Value Added Resource and a Barchart preview carried by Yahoo Finance. Reuters said only that results are due next week. When this article was prepared, eBay's investor relations homepage did not show the event, so the date should be confirmed against the company's own announcement.

## What it means

For employees, the immediate question is who is affected. eBay says affected staff will be told in the coming days but has not named teams or locations. In Ireland, where RTÉ says eBay employs about 1,000 people, around 50 roles were put at risk in the February round. It is not yet known whether Irish staff are affected this time.

The wider US picture is mixed for anyone looking for a new role: [jobless claims fell to 194,000](https://bullquill.com/us-jobless-claims-fall-194000-low-layoffs/), but hiring is slow and job searches are getting longer. That is one reason personal-finance guides stress a cash cushion; our explainer covers [how to build an emergency fund](https://bullquill.com/how-to-build-an-emergency-fund/) step by step. Other online marketplaces are also changing how they operate, including [Airbnb's new house rules policy](https://bullquill.com/airbnb-checkout-chores-house-rules-policy/), which bans checkout chores and host fines.

For the company, this is the second time in eight months that it has reduced headcount at a time when sales are growing. Management has framed this as moving money into a smaller set of priority products. Iannone's memo presents the cuts as a decision to focus spending, not as a response to falling sales. The October 28 results should show whether eBay expects the reductions to change its cost outlook, and whether it will book a restructuring charge in the fourth quarter.

Several things are still unknown: the exact number of jobs cut, the split between US and international roles, whether roles will be moved to other locations, and the expected cost and savings. eBay has not disclosed any of these.

## Related coverage

- [Amazon to hire 300,000 holiday workers, first increase in three years](https://bullquill.com/amazon-300000-holiday-hires-first-increase/)
- [EA shuts down BioWare, cuts 400 jobs and cancels next Mass Effect](https://bullquill.com/ea-shuts-down-bioware-400-job-cuts/)
- [US stocks brief: Dow up 1%, tech stalls before Tesla and Meta](https://bullquill.com/us-stocks-daily-brief-2026-10-21/)
- [Bose acquires Skullcandy: why it bought a younger, cheaper brand](https://bullquill.com/bose-acquires-skullcandy-what-changes/)

## Frequently asked questions

### How many jobs is eBay cutting?

eBay says it will cut about 9% of its workforce but has not given a number. Reuters estimates about 1,100 jobs based on roughly 12,300 employees at the end of 2025, while CNBC reported about 1,000.

### Why is eBay laying off staff?

According to CEO Jamie Iannone's memo, reported by Reuters, eBay wants to simplify operations and shift resources to its fastest-growing areas. A spokesperson said the step was meant to keep the company operating from a position of strength.

### Is this eBay's first layoff of 2026?

No. In February 2026 eBay cut about 800 jobs, or roughly 6% of its workforce at the time.

### When does eBay next report earnings?

eBay is expected to report third-quarter 2026 results after the market closes on Wednesday, October 28, according to market previews. Reuters said results are due next week.

## Sources

- [Reuters via BNN Bloomberg: eBay to lay off 9% of workforce, internal memo shows (October 21, 2026)](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2026/10/21/reuters-exclusive-ebay-to-lay-off-9-of-workforce-internal-memo-shows/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [CNBC: eBay to lay off 9% of workforce in its second round of job cuts this year (October 21, 2026)](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/21/ebay-layoffs-workforce-cuts.html?ref=bullquill.com)
- [The Globe and Mail (Reuters): eBay to cut about 9% of jobs in effort to streamline operations](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ebay-to-cut-about-9-of-jobs-in-effort-to-streamline-operations-memo/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [RTÉ: eBay set to lay off 9% of global workforce (October 21, 2026)](https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/1021/1596297-ebay-to-cut-over-1-000-global-jobs/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Value Added Resource: eBay cuts 9% of workforce in second major round of layoffs this year](https://www.valueaddedresource.net/ebay-layoffs-october-2026/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [eBay Inc.: Second quarter 2026 results, Form 8-K exhibit 99.1 (SEC, August 5, 2026)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001065088/000106508826000174/exhibit991erebayq22026.htm?ref=bullquill.com)
- [eBay Inc.: Annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (SEC)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065088/000106508826000027/ebay-20251231.htm?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Barchart via Yahoo Finance: What to expect from eBay's next earnings report](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/heres-expect-ebays-next-earnings-100107366.html?ref=bullquill.com)
- [eBay Inc. investor relations](https://investors.ebayinc.com/?ref=bullquill.com)