Netflix layoffs will remove about 1,000 jobs, roughly 6% of the company’s full-time workforce. Co-chief executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters told staff by email on Wednesday 14 October 2026 that product, technology, legal and human resources will take the greatest impact. The company confirmed the scale after the Wall Street Journal first reported the memo.
Who Is Affected and Where They Sit
Netflix named four functions rather than a geographic list, which leaves the question of which countries absorb the cuts unanswered. The company’s own annual filing gives the only reliable guide to where its staff are.
As of 31 December 2025, Netflix reported approximately 16,000 full-time employees in its annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The split was:
| Region | Full-time employees | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States and Canada | About 10,900 | 68% |
| Europe, Middle East and Africa | 2,500 | 16% |
| Asia-Pacific | 1,900 | 12% |
| Latin America | 700 | 4% |
Those 16,000 are the full-time count only. The filing notes the company also employs people on content production, “some of whom are part-time or temporary, and whose numbers fluctuate throughout the year”, and that some are covered by collective bargaining agreements. Netflix has not said whether production staff are in scope.
Six per cent of 16,000 is about 960, which is where the “roughly 1,000” figure comes from. The percentage is measured against a headcount that had grown over the previous year, not a shrinking one.
What the Memo Said
The language was brief and gave no numbers beyond the percentage.
Sarandos and Peters wrote that the company is “making a number of organizational changes” and is “letting go of roughly 6% of our colleagues, with the greatest impact to our product, tech, legal, and HR teams.” They added: “Our top priority today is to support those who are leaving Netflix.”
On the business itself, the memo struck the opposite note: “Our business is strong and growing, and we remain on track to deliver our full-year forecast.” The co-chief executives also said the company would keep investing in what it called high-impact areas, and framed the reductions as a question of discipline about where people and resources are prioritised. The mission line quoted by the Wall Street Journal was “our mission – to entertain the world – is ambitious.”
What Netflix Has Not Disclosed
Several things a departing employee would need to know are absent from the public record as of 15 October 2026.
- Severance terms: No severance package, notice period or benefits continuation has been disclosed. Netflix has made no public statement on terms beyond the staff email.
- Country-by-country numbers: No breakdown has been published. Reporting indicates the notification process varies by country, which is what employment law in different markets requires.
- Timing for individuals: The memo said leaders would contact affected employees, without naming a date by which everyone will have been told.
- A regulatory filing: No restructuring charge or job-cut figure has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with these cuts. The announcement came by internal email, not by filing.
- Whether more follow: Nothing in the memo rules out or commits to further reductions.
Employees in the European Union, the United Kingdom and several other markets have statutory consultation and notice rights that do not apply in the United States, which is why a single global severance figure may not exist. Terms will vary by country and by individual contract.
How This Compares With 2022
Most coverage called this the biggest round since 2022. On the numbers, it is larger than 2022 outright.
- May 2022: Netflix cut about 150 jobs, reported at the time as roughly 2% of its United States workforce.
- June 2022: A second round removed about 300 more, confirmed on 23 June 2022.
- February 2026: A smaller cut affected what reporting described as a small number of global product team staff; no figure was published.
- October 2026: About 1,000 jobs, or 6% of full-time staff.
The 2022 cuts followed Netflix reporting a net loss of 200,000 streaming customers in the first quarter of that year, its first subscriber decline in more than a decade. The two 2022 rounds together came to roughly 450 jobs, so the 2026 figure is more than double that, and larger as a share of staff. Some outlets describe it as the company’s largest ever and others as the largest since 2022; both readings rest on the same numbers.
The Growth Numbers Behind the Decision
The memo insisted the business is strong. The figures that have unsettled analysts concern how much people watch rather than how much they pay.
Sarandos said at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference in early October 2026: “Overall, we’re not growing as fast as I want us to, and we’re working on making that move faster.” Viewing grew by about 2% year on year in the first half of 2026, a figure reported by CNBC and not confirmed in a company filing.
Competition for watch time is the pressure most often cited. YouTube reached a record 14.2% share of United States television time in July 2026 while Netflix’s share fell to 7.8%, according to measurement data cited in analyst commentary; those are monthly readings of one market and move each month. HSBC cut its rating on Netflix to hold in September 2026, with its analyst saying YouTube’s gains are “increasingly coming at the direct expense of Netflix.”
Netflix shares were down about 25% during 2026 as of 9 October 2026. Share prices change continuously, and that figure is a reading on one date rather than a standing fact. For 2025 as a whole, Netflix reported revenue of $45.2 billion, up 16%, with net income of $11 billion.
The company also spent much of early 2026 pursuing Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming and studio businesses before declining to raise its offer in February 2026, and the assets went to Paramount Skydance. Our earlier reports cover the Paramount and Warner Bros. settlement terms and the Skydance name change timetable.
What Happens on 20 October
The next scheduled disclosure is six days after the memo. Netflix said in a release dated 14 September 2026 that it will publish third-quarter 2026 results and its business outlook on its investor relations website on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at about 1:01 p.m. Pacific Time, followed by a live video interview with Sarandos, Peters, chief financial officer Spence Neumann and vice-president Spencer Wang at 1:45 p.m. Pacific Time, taking questions submitted by sell-side analysts.
Management’s guidance for the quarter pointed to revenue growth of roughly 12%. Whether the company records a restructuring charge for the job cuts in the third quarter or the fourth, and whether it gives a severance figure, are the two things the results will settle that the memo did not.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Jobs Are the Netflix Layoffs Cutting?
About 1,000, which is roughly 6% of Netflix’s full-time workforce. The company had approximately 16,000 full-time employees as of 31 December 2025, according to its annual filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Which Teams Are Affected?
Product, technology, legal and human resources take the greatest impact, according to the memo from co-chief executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters dated 14 October 2026. The memo did not give numbers for each team.
What Severance Is Netflix Offering?
Netflix has not disclosed severance terms. As of 15 October 2026 no package, notice period or benefits arrangement has been made public, and reporting indicates the process varies by country because employment law differs between markets.
Which Countries Are Affected?
Netflix has not published a country breakdown. Its most recent annual filing places about 10,900 of its 16,000 full-time staff in the United States and Canada, 2,500 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 1,900 in Asia-Pacific and 700 in Latin America.
Is This the Largest Netflix Layoff Ever?
By headcount, yes. The two rounds in 2022 came to roughly 450 jobs combined, about 150 in May and about 300 confirmed on 23 June 2022. At about 1,000 jobs and 6% of staff, the October 2026 round is larger in both absolute and percentage terms.
When Does Netflix Report Its Next Results?
Tuesday 20 October 2026, at about 1:01 p.m. Pacific Time, with a live analyst interview at 1:45 p.m. Pacific Time, according to the company’s release of 14 September 2026.
