Disney begins third round of layoffs as 2023 cuts continue

Disney has initiated a new round of layoffs, extending a restructuring that has already produced deep job cuts in April and July, A.V. Club reports. The fresh reductions mark the third major wave of dismissals at the company this year, extending a rolling restructuring that has made Disney one of the most prominent sources of media-sector job losses in 2023.

The latest cuts land on top of two earlier tranches. April brought the first deep reductions, followed by a second wave in July. A third round so soon after the summer signals that management views the cost-cutting program as unfinished rather than a one-time correction.

For workers in media, entertainment and adjacent corporate functions, the pattern matters beyond one company. When a market leader cuts in successive waves, hiring managers across the sector absorb the signal. Each wave releases experienced Disney employees into the same labor pool — designers, marketers, product managers, finance and distribution specialists — which increases competition for the roles that remain open at rival studios, streamers and agencies.

The sequencing also tells candidates something about timing. Companies that stage layoffs in multiple rounds typically freeze backfill hiring between waves, so openings at Disney and similar employers will likely stay scarce until the restructuring concludes. Candidates targeting the entertainment sector should treat the current window as one for positioning — updating portfolios, quantifying results, and building referral networks — rather than expecting volume hiring.

For those directly affected, the practical read is this: severance negotiations and internal transfer options are strongest before a final wave closes, and displaced Disney staff carry a brand name that still carries weight in adjacent industries — tech, consumer products, hospitality and live experiences — where entertainment skills transfer.

The bigger picture for job seekers is sector rotation. Media and entertainment companies are contracting while other industries continue hiring, so professionals from legacy media increasingly land in tech platform roles, gaming, sports media and brand-side content teams.

A.V. Club's report does not specify the number of positions affected in this round, the departments targeted, or whether additional waves will follow. Readers should treat the scope of this reduction as unconfirmed until Disney discloses figures or affected employees self-report on LinkedIn and other platforms, as they did during the April and July rounds.