1 / 9Several major companies have announced significant layoffs in recent weeks, citing operational efficiency drives and cost-cutting measures. Rivian Automotive, Applied Materials, Meta, Target Corp, Sika, Smartsheet, Nestlé and Google are among the firms reducing headcount amid challenging market conditions and restructuring efforts. (Canva image)
2 / 9Rivian: Rivian Automotive is preparing to lay off around 4.5% of its workforce—approximately 600 employees—as the all-electric vehicle maker faces mounting market challenges. According to a note sent to staff on Thursday and seen by CNBC, founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said the cuts would primarily affect the company’s marketing, vehicle operations, and sales/delivery and mobile operations teams. Rivian had nearly 15,000 employees at the end of last year. The Wall Street Journal reported that more than 600 workers are expected to lose their jobs, according to sources familiar with the matter. (Reuters Photo)
3 / 9Applied Materials: Applied Materials announced plans to cut about 4% of its workforce, or roughly 1,400 jobs, as it streamlines operations in response to tighter US export controls on semiconductors. The chip equipment manufacturer will incur charges of between $160 million and $180 million for the layoffs, mostly in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Reuters reported. (Reuters Photo)
4 / 9Meta: Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has confirmed the layoff of approximately 600 employees in its artificial intelligence division. In a memo, Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang said the decision was intended to reduce organisational layers and enable more agile operations. The job cuts will affect staff within Meta’s AI infrastructure units, the Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) unit, and other product-related teams. However, the newly formed TBD Lab—which houses Meta’s top AI talent—will not be impacted. The restructuring comes as Meta seeks to streamline what insiders described as a “bloated” AI department, where teams had been competing for computing resources.
5 / 9Target Corp: In its first major round of layoffs in nearly a decade, Target Corp is set to cut around 1,800 corporate roles as it seeks to reverse years of stagnant sales and simplify operations. Incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke announced the move in a memo to staff on Thursday, according to Reuters. “Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life. It’s a necessary step in building the future of Target,” Fiddelke said. The cuts will affect around 8% of the company’s corporate workforce, including the elimination of 800 open positions. Employees losing their jobs will receive pay and benefits through early January, along with severance packages. (Reuters Photo)
6 / 9Sika: Swiss industrial and construction chemicals company Sika reported a 3.8% drop in sales to 8.58 billion Swiss francs (£7.45 billion / $10.82 billion) for the first nine months of 2025 and announced plans for structural adjustments in persistently underperforming regions. The restructuring could result in up to 1,500 job losses, the company confirmed. (Reuters Photo)
7 / 9Smartsheet: Enterprise software company Smartsheet has reportedly laid off more than 120 employees amid a leadership transition following the retirement of its CEO, Mark Mader. The company, which grew to over 3,300 employees, was taken private earlier this year in an $8.4 billion acquisition by Blackstone and Vista Equity Partners. (Image: Smartsheet.com)
8 / 9Nestle: Nestle, the world’s largest food company, plans to cut around 16,000 jobs globally over the next two years. The company said in a statement last week that the majority of layoffs—about 12,000—will affect white-collar staff, as it focuses on “operational efficiency” through increased automation and shared services. A further 4,000 roles in manufacturing and supply chain operations will also be eliminated. According to CNN, the job cuts represent around 6% of Nestlé’s global workforce. (Reuters Photo)
9 / 9Google: Google has recently laid off more than 100 employees in design-related roles, CNBC reported. Internal documents revealed that cuts were made within the cloud unit’s “quantitative user experience research” and “platform and service experience” teams, as well as other related divisions. The latest reductions come as Google intensifies efforts to refocus investment on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Since the start of the year, the company has offered voluntary exit packages to several US-based teams and has reportedly dismissed more than one-third of its managers overseeing small groups. (Reuters Photo)
