Disney Weighs Thousands of Job Cuts

The entertainment giant is considering a cost-saving restructuring that could eliminate thousands of roles.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Media

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Walt Disney is considering cutting thousands of jobs, and some managers have been asked to identify 20% in annual cost savings. The restructuring follows reduced box office revenue and increased streaming competition.

Why it matters

The move reflects pressure on media companies from weaker box office returns, streaming competition, and slower international theme park attendance. Rival firms Netflix and Skydance have also cut jobs to reduce costs.

Disney employed about 231,000 people at the end of fiscal 2025 and is weighing cuts that would follow roughly 1,000 positions eliminated in April. Managers have been asked to identify 20% in annual cost savings, though the final scale of reductions has not been set.

The players

Walt Disney

The American entertainment conglomerate operates film, television, streaming, theme park and cruise businesses worldwide.

Netflix

The streaming service pioneered subscription video on demand and has competed directly with Disney's streaming platforms.

Skydance

The media company acquired Warner Bros Discovery earlier this year and has also cut jobs to reduce costs.

The details

Disney's leadership asked some managers to identify 20% in annual cost savings, and some operations are expected to bear a larger share of the cuts than others. The company aims to reinvest part of the savings into film and TV programming, technology, theme parks and cruise ship businesses.

April: Disney cut about 1,000 positions.
2023: Disney cut 7,000 roles as part of an effort to save $5.5 billion under former CEO Bob Iger.
September: Reuters reported Disney was laying off a few hundred employees in human resources and technology.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Bloomberg reported Disney was considering thousands of job cuts.

Market Landscape

Disney's 2023 cut of 7,000 roles under former CEO Bob Iger set a $5.5 billion cost-savings target that the company is now revisiting. The new cost review places Disney alongside Netflix and Skydance, which have also trimmed staff as streaming competition and weaker box office revenue squeeze media margins.

Job cuts at a major media employer can affect the local labor market in cities where Disney operates studios, parks and offices. Viewers and subscribers may also see changes in how Disney allocates spending across its content, streaming and theme park businesses.

The takeaway

Large media companies are reallocating spending toward programming, technology and parks as streaming and box office economics shift. Readers following the sector can watch how savings targets translate into actual headcount and content decisions.