Airbnb Inc. is laying off 25 per cent of its work force, or nearly 1,900 employees, the home rental startup said on Tuesday, as the COVID-19 pandemic brings global travel to a near standstill.
“Airbnb’s business has been hit hard, with revenue this year forecasted to be less than half of what we earned in 2019,” founder Brian Chesky said in a memo to employees.
Reuters reported about the move earlier on Tuesday. The laid-off employees in the United States will get 14 weeks of base pay plus one additional week for every year at Airbnb, the company said.
As millions of tourists cancel plans for vacations, work trips and family visits, Airbnb earlier this year said it was allocating US$250-million to help offset losses incurred by hosts.
In late March, the company suspended its marketing activities to save US$800-million in 2020 and informed workers that its founders will take no salary for the next six months while top executives would take a 50-per-cent cut.
Your time is valuable. Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. Sign up today.