Uber slashes 3,300 jobs as it streamlines for robotaxi push: Report

Uber is laying off 3,300 employees, roughly 10% of its global workforce, as it doubles down on a robotaxi strategy backed by more than $10 billion in committed spending. The cuts bring the company’s headcount to around 30,000, a level last seen in 2021.

What’s actually happening inside Uber

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi framed the restructuring around a familiar corporate diagnosis: too many managers, too many layers, too much internal friction slowing things down. The cuts will reduce the number of managers by approximately 20%.

Earlier in 2026, Uber had already reduced its people division by 23% and cut customer operations teams by 10%, both attributed to AI taking over functions that previously required human staff. The September round is broader, touching roles across the organization rather than targeting specific departments.

Notably, Uber is not simply shrinking. The company plans to keep hiring for more than 500 open positions, nearly all of them engineering roles tied to its autonomous vehicle ambitions.

The $10 billion robotaxi bet

Uber’s pivot toward autonomous transportation is not a vague strategic aspiration. The company has already committed over $10 billion to robotaxi partnerships and equity positions in vehicle technology companies, including Lucid and Rivian.

Reading the restructuring as a signal

Uber’s stock rose roughly 2% following the announcement. The manager reduction is particularly telling: cutting 20% of managers suggests Uber is serious about changing how decisions get made, not just how many people are on payroll.

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