Upwork Layoffs
Industry Other · Location SF Bay Area · United States · Subscribe (RSS)
Upwork has 3 publicly reported layoff rounds on record between May 3, 2023 and May 7, 2026. A total of about 288 employees were affected across these rounds.
Layoff history
Upwork cut about 151 employees in May 2026, roughly 24% of its workforce, with CEO Hayden Brown sharing the news with staff on May 7. Brown argued that "AI means smaller, differently resourced teams in product and engineering can make a bigger impact than ever," pointing to the freelancing platform's 2024 layoff followed by strong 2025 execution as evidence that leaner teams move faster. She described the cuts as both an AI-driven reshaping of how work gets done and a step toward profitability goals in a challenging environment. The business itself was healthy, she maintained, which drew criticism that AI was being used as justification for the reductions. The announcement coincided with Upwork's Q1 2026 earnings, and the stock fell sharply, roughly 17%, afterward amid weak forward guidance and the restructuring news.
Reason: AI-driven move to smaller teams and profitability
Source: upwork.com
Upwork disclosed a workforce reduction affecting its SF Bay Area operations in October 23, 2024.
Source: investors.upwork.com
Upwork disclosed a workforce reduction affecting its SF Bay Area operations in May 3, 2023. Approximately 137 roles were eliminated.
Source: upwork.com
Data for Upwork is compiled from public WARN Act filings and reporting linked above. See our methodology.