Uber eliminates 23% of People and Places division

Uber has eliminated 23 percent of the positions within its People and Places division, a corporate restructuring that affects less than one percent of the company’s global workforce of approximately 34,000 employees. The division handles human resources, recruiting, workplace operations, and company culture.

The move is being led by Jill Hazelbaker, who was promoted to president and chief corporate affairs officer just three weeks ago. In an internal memo to affected teams, Hazelbaker explained the rationale, stating that parts of the organization had become too complex and fragmented, with overlapping responsibilities, unclear ownership, and teams operating too far from the businesses they support. The layoffs primarily target senior-level roles and are part of an effort to streamline operations and create a more connected organization.

Company executives emphasized that the decision was not driven by the company’s investments in artificial intelligence. However, the restructuring coincides with a period of significant focus on AI tools across the technology sector. Uber recently implemented a soft monthly spending limit of $1,500 per tool for employees using certain agentic AI...