One of the world's oldest e-commerce platforms, plans to cut about 1,000 employees, equivalent to 9% of the global workforce, in an effort to streamline operations and focus resources on high-growth business areas.

At the end of October, eBay CEO Jamie Iannone informed employees of his plan to cut about 9% of global staff. An eBay representative later confirmed that the restructuring would affect about 1,000 positions. With about 12,300 employees by the end of 2025, this is one of the business's notable staff cuts in recent years.

In a message to employees, Mr. Jamie Iannone said the company is simplifying operations and shifting resources to areas with the best growth potential. According to eBay CEO, to capture the opportunities ahead, businesses need to make calculated choices about where to focus their investments and resources.

Notably, this is eBay's second round of staff cuts in 2026. In February, the company announced the layoff of about 800 employees, equivalent to 6% of the workforce, with the goal of streamlining the apparatus and improving operational efficiency.

Focus on high-value businesses

The restructuring move comes in the context that eBay is adjusting its competitive strategy, focusing more on segments with high transaction value and ability to differentiate such as authentic luxury goods, collectibles, resale fashion and refurbished goods.

Instead of competing head-to-head in every segment with other e-commerce platforms, eBay is looking to strengthen its position in markets with specialized customer groups willing to pay high prices for products of value or uniqueness.

A notable step is the acquisition of Depop, an e-commerce platform specializing in secondhand fashion, with a value of about 1.4 billion USD. The deal helps eBay expand its reach to young consumers and increase its presence in the growing re-commerce market.

According to Reuters, these steps have contributed to supporting the performance of eBay shares, with an increase of nearly 40% in 2026 as of press time, exceeding the increase of about 12% of the S&P 500 index.

Staff reduction while business outlook remains positive

The notable point in this plan is that eBay did not announce any cuts in the context of a clear decline in business results. On the contrary, on October 22, the company said it expected business results for the third quarter of 2026 to exceed the forecast given in the August report.

According to filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), eBay estimates it must record pre-tax costs of $130-150 million related to the restructuring plan. The majority of these costs are for severance pay and benefits after employees leave, expected to be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The company aims to complete most of the personnel restructuring process by the end of the first quarter of 2027. Cost savings from streamlining the organization will be used to serve strategic initiatives and operational activities of the business.

The fact that eBay continues to cut staff while the business outlook remains positive shows that the focus of the restructuring is not simply on responding to financial difficulties, but also on rearranging the organizational structure and allocating resources according to new business priorities.