Trending Now - Seattle Faces Fresh Wave of Tech Job Cuts Amid Industry Shakeup

WHO:

The Seattle Times - Snap is the parent company of the social media platform Snapchat.

Entrepreneur - Irenic Capital is an activist investor urging Snap's leadership.

WHAT:

The Seattle Times - Snap is laying off 1,000 employees companywide, which is about 16% of its global workforce.

The Seattle Times - Snap is cutting 95 workers in Washington state.

The Seattle Times - Snap is eliminating more than 300 open roles.

The Seattle Times - Snap aims to reduce costs by more than $500 million in the second half of 2026.

The Seattle Times - Snap is expected to report $1.5 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2026.

WHERE:

The Seattle Times - The layoffs will affect employees in Seattle, Bellevue, and Vancouver, Washington.

The Seattle Times - The Seattle office is located at 2025 First Ave.

The Seattle Times - The Bellevue office is located at 110 110th Ave. N.E.

The Seattle Times - Snap has been in Seattle for about a decade, primarily near Pike Place Market.

The Seattle Times - Snap expanded to Bellevue in 2022 and recently leased an additional 42,000 square feet, bringing its total Bellevue space to about 158,000 square feet.

WHEN:

The Seattle Times - The layoffs will occur between April 16th and June 16th, 2026.

The Seattle Times - Snap's first quarter of 2026 ended on March 30th, 2026.

WHY:

The Seattle Times - The layoffs are driven by artificial intelligence-induced efficiencies, according to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.

Entrepreneur - The job cuts follow pressure from Irenic Capital to boost efficiency after claims that Snap had "over-hired."

HOW:

The Seattle Times - Snap's layoffs are part of a broader strategy to cut costs and improve profitability.

(UPDATED April 17, 2026 05:45 UTC)

Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, is laying off 1,000 employees, which represents about 16% of its global workforce, as part of a strategy to cut costs and improve profitability. The layoffs, driven by artificial intelligence-induced efficiencies and pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital, will affect workers in Seattle, Bellevue, and Vancouver, Washington, with cuts occurring between on Thursday and June 16th. Snap is also eliminating over 300 open roles and aims to reduce costs by more than $500 million in the second half of 2026, while expecting to report $1.5 billion in revenue for the first quarter of 2026.