Uber is cutting roughly 23% of roles inside its People and Places unit, the company said this week, trimming a slice of the teams that handle human resources, recruiting, workplace facilities and culture. The cuts, many of them senior positions according to the company, were announced after Jill Hazelbaker was moved into a newly expanded president role that now includes the People organization and safety operations. Uber officials describe the move as a targeted reorganization rather than a broad headcount purge.
As reported by Bloomberg, the 23% reduction applies specifically to the People and Places division, and many of the affected roles are senior-level. A company spokesperson told Bloomberg the cuts add up to less than 1% of Uber’s roughly 34,000 global employees. The People and Places unit covers human resources, recruiting, workplace facilities and employee programs.
What Was Cut
The People and Places organization includes HR, recruiting, office operations and employee programs, the corporate plumbing that most people only notice when something breaks. According to The Mercury News, Hazelbaker wrote in a memo that parts of the organization had become too complex and fragmented, and CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told staff the changes are necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the People team and the enormous potential ahead of us.
Hazelbaker's Rationale
Three weeks after her promotion to president and chief corporate affairs officer, Hazelbaker moved quickly to pare overlapping functions and tighten team ownership, The Next Web reports. An SEC filing confirmed her May promotion, and the company says the reorganization is intended to bring support teams closer to the businesses and partners they serve.
AI, Hiring And Robotaxis
Uber has been careful to distance this round of cuts from claims about AI-driven automation, with spokespeople saying the reductions were not prompted by AI. Fortune reported that Uber exhausted its 2026 AI coding tools budget in roughly four months, and Bloomberg noted the company is still advertising more than 800 open roles, including positions aimed at commercializing robotaxi partnerships.
What This Means Locally
For San Francisco employees, where Uber is headquartered, the reorg could mean fewer senior HR leaders and clearer lines for who handles recruiting, benefits and office operations. The Mercury News reports that HR staff who had been approved to work remotely are being asked to comply with the company's three-day-in-office policy, a change that may amplify the day-to-day impact for some roles.
Investors reacted modestly: shares dipped early Wednesday before paring losses and traded about 0.6% lower in morning trading, The Next Web reports. Uber said affected employees were being notified directly and did not disclose a headcount beyond the percentage reduction.
