Following rumours at the end of last week that it would cut a significant portion of its workforce, Twitter has gone ahead and laid off 336 individuals, a number that amounts to about eight percent of its current headcount.
The company announced the job cuts this morning though a United States SEC filing. Those in Twitter’s engineering department make up the majority of individuals affected by the cost cutting measure. According to an email sent by company co-founder and new full-time CEO Jack Dorsey, the move comes as a result of the company wanting to find a narrower sense of focus.
“The team has been working around the clock to produce streamlined roadmap for Twitter, Vine, and Periscope and they are shaping up to be strong. The roadmap is focused on the experiences which will have the greatest impact,” says the email penned by Dorsey.
“The roadmap is also a plan to change how we work, and what we need to do that work. Product and Engineering are going to make the most significant structural changes to reflect our plan ahead. We feel strongly that Engineering will move much faster with a smaller and nimbler team, while remaining the biggest percentage of our workforce. And the rest of the organization will be streamlined in parallel.”
Dorsey ends his email by saying, “This isn’t easy. But it is right. The world needs a strong Twitter, and this is another step to get there.”
Made some tough but necessary decisions that enable Twitter to move with greater focus and reinvest in our growth. http://t.co/BWd7EiGAF2
— Jack (@jack) October 13, 2015
Based on the content of the email, it doesn’t appear the move will affect Twitter’s international offices. Twitter Canada declined to comment on whether there were any local job losses.
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