eBay slashes 800 jobs to realign for Gen Z and fashion pivot

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) announced on Thursday that it will eliminate approximately 800 positions, representing roughly 6% of its full-time workforce.

The San Jose-based company framed the restructuring as a necessary step to streamline operations and reallocate resources toward high-growth strategic priorities, specifically in the "recommerce" and secondhand fashion sectors.

The workforce reduction follows eBay's high-profile $1.2 billion acquisition of Depop, announced last week.

By absorbing the popular Gen Z-focused marketplace, eBay is doubling down on a demographic that prioritizes sustainable and secondhand fashion.

Management indicated that the layoffs are part of a broader effort to align staffing with long-term strategic goals as the company integrates new platforms and modernizes its core marketplace.

This marks the third significant round of layoffs for the e-commerce giant since 2023, as it struggles to balance labor costs with shifting consumer spending patterns.

In early 2024, the company cut approximately 1,000 roles, or 9% of its staff, citing expenses that were outstripping growth.

That followed an early 2023 reduction of about 500 roles, or 4%, triggered by a post-pandemic slowdown in digital commerce.

Despite the job cuts, eBay’s management maintains that the company is taking proactive steps to reinvest across its business.