Uber is cutting nearly a quarter of the employees in its recruiting and human resources functions as the ride-hailing company streamlines internal operations and reinforces its return-to-office expectations, according to Fast Company.
The company is eliminating 23% of jobs across its recruitment and HR teams. Uber did not disclose the number of affected employees, but the cuts represent less than 1% of its global workforce of roughly 34,000 people.
HR Restructuring Underway
In a memo to leaders, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the changes are intended to improve the effectiveness of Uber’s people organization and position the company for future growth.
The restructuring follows the recent promotion of Jill Hazelbaker, who was elevated from chief marketing officer to president and chief corporate affairs officer last month.
Hazelbaker told employees the reorganization is aimed at reducing complexity and overlapping responsibilities within the company’s people operations, according to the report.
Remote Employees Asked Back
Alongside the layoffs, some HR employees who had previously received approval to work remotely have been instructed to return to the office to align with Uber’s hybrid work policy, which has been in place for about a year.
The move continues a broader trend among major employers that have tightened office attendance requirements after years of expanded remote work flexibility.
AI Questions Remain Unanswered
Uber has not linked the layoffs directly to artificial intelligence initiatives.
The company has, however, been investing heavily in AI tools. Earlier this year, Uber encouraged employees to make extensive use of AI and reportedly tracked adoption internally. The company also established spending limits for AI software and coding assistants, with exceptions requiring approval.
At the same time, Uber executives have expressed caution about drawing a direct connection between AI adoption and measurable business outcomes. Company leaders recently acknowledged that the relationship between AI usage and new products remains difficult to quantify.
