Disney Layoffs 2026: 1,000 Jobs At Risk As New CEO Josh D’Amaro Focuses On Cutting Costs

Entertainment giant The Walt Disney Company is planning to cut around 1,000 jobs in the coming months as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and reduce costs, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The move marks the first major workforce reduction under new CEO Josh D'Amaro, who took charge in March.

Walt Disney Layoffs 2026: Who's At Risk?

The planned layoffs are expected to mainly affect marketing and corporate roles, aligning with Disney's strategy to reshape its promotional operations across film, television, and streaming. Despite the cuts, they represent less than 1% of the company's global workforce, which stood at around 231,000 employees at the end of fiscal 2025.

Although the job cuts are being executed under D'Amaro's leadership, the report noted that discussions and planning began before his appointment. The move comes as Disney continues to consolidate its businesses, including the ongoing integration of Disney+ and Hulu into a unified app experience.

Earlier this year, Disney promoted Asad Ayaz to Chief Marketing and Brand Officer as part of a broader effort to streamline its marketing operations. Ayaz is leading a company-wide restructuring initiative, internally called 'Project Imagine,' aimed at bringing together Disney's marketing teams into a single, cohesive structure. The goal is to cut overlapping functions, reduce costs, and improve efficiency across its film, television, and streaming businesses.

Previous Layoffs At Walt Disney

Between 2023 and 2025, Disney eliminated around 8,000 jobs in multiple phases, achieving cost savings of $7.5 billion, which was well above its initial targets. These cuts were carried out under former CEO Bob Iger and largely impacted employees in entertainment, ESPN, and corporate divisions. Meanwhile, Disney's theme parks and cruise businesses have continued to perform strongly.

New Jobs At Disneyland Paris

While some divisions are facing budget tightening, others are expanding. In March, D'Amaro announced that a new development at Disneyland Paris will create around 1,000 new jobs.

"I believe we will continue to be the number one tourist destination. I believe that we will continue to add jobs. In fact, we're adding 1,000 jobs, just for this new land that we have built," said CEO D'Amaro.

Tech Layoffs In 2026

The broader layoffs trend continues across industries. Between January and April 2026, about 78,557 tech workers have reportedly lost their jobs, with over 76% of the cuts occurring in the U.S., according to Nikkei Asia. Nearly 37,638 layoffs, around 47.9%, have been linked to reduced demand for human roles due to AI and automation.

Among major companies, Oracle Corporation is expected to cut around 1,000 jobs, while Meta Platforms may reduce about 700 roles in addition to the 16,000 cuts announced earlier. Meanwhile, Volkswagen plans a major restructuring that could see up to 50,000 jobs cut by 2030 amid declining sales in China and North America, along with pressure from U.S. tariffs.