Uber trims 23% of People and Places team; says AI not a factor

Uber is cutting 23% of roles in its People and Places division, the company announced, a reduction that impacts fewer than 1% of its roughly 34,000 global employees. The division oversees human resources, recruitment, workplace facilities and company culture.

Jill Hazelbaker, promoted last month to president and chief corporate affairs officer, wrote in a memo to affected teams that the reorganization aims to build “a more connected, modern, operationally excellent organization.”

Hazelbaker added that growth had left parts of the unit “too complex and fragmented, with overlapping responsibilities, unclear ownership, and teams operating too far from the businesses and partners they support.”

Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi wrote to company leaders that “these changes are necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the People team and the enormous potential ahead of us.”

Uber said the reductions include a number of senior roles but did not provide a detailed breakdown of titles or the exact number of positions eliminated. The company described the actions as an internal reorganization and confirmed that artificial intelligence did not factor into the decision.

The announcement noted that roughly 10 million drivers who use Uber’s platform are classified as independent contractors and are not included in the employee count. Uber also said it remains actively recruiting for more than 800 open positions, including roles tied to commercializing robotaxis.

The company stated last month it would slow hiring while relying more on internal AI tools. Within People and Places, the changes will involve reassignments for some staff and exits for others as the group restructures to align with the new operating model.