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Summary
Walt Disney (DIS) is weighing thousands of job cuts and has asked some managers to find 20% in annual cost savings, according to a Bloomberg News report cited by Reuters.
CEO Josh D'Amaro plans to reinvest part of the savings in film, TV, technology, parks and cruise ships, the report said.
Disney reports full fiscal 2026 results on November 17, the next scheduled chance for D'Amaro to address the cuts publicly, according to BlogMickey.
Gotrade News - Walt Disney (DIS) is weighing thousands of job cuts and has asked some managers to find 20% in annual cost savings, Reuters reported, citing a Monday Bloomberg News report. The report said CEO Josh D'Amaro plans to reinvest part of the savings in film, TV, technology, parks and cruise ships.
The report did not say how many jobs could be affected, though some operations would bear a larger share of the cuts than others, according to Reuters. Disney employed about 231,000 people at the end of fiscal 2025. Disney declined to comment to Bloomberg, per BlogMickey.
Regular-session close on November 2, 2026, New York time. Prices and changes: Yahoo Finance, cross-checked against the closing price on Nasdaq.com. 52-week range: Yahoo Finance daily highs and lows since November 3, 2025. Market cap: that close times the shares outstanding on the latest 10-Q or 10-K cover (SEC EDGAR).
What Did Bloomberg Report About Disney's 20% Savings Target?
Managers can reach the 20% target through job eliminations, expense reductions or both, according to BlogMickey, which added that it is unclear whether park operations are included. It would be the largest round of layoffs since D'Amaro became CEO in March, the outlet reported.
Per Reuters, D'Amaro is contending with growing use of AI, weaker box office revenue, streaming competition and a slowdown in international theme park attendance.
Disney's Q3 Filing Flagged Labor and SG&A Cuts
Disney's own filings had already pointed to cost cuts. In its fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings release filed with the SEC in August, the company said it remains "highly focused on reducing costs across the enterprise to create incremental capacity to invest for growth" and is "evaluating a variety of levers, including reductions in labor and SG&A." It added that it is "mid-stream in this work" and will provide future updates.
In the same release, Disney said it continues to expect fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS growth of approximately 12% excluding the impact of the 53rd week, and approximately 16% including it. The company also said it is now targeting at least $9 billion in share repurchases in fiscal 2026.
Disney Layoff Rounds: 7,000 Roles in 2023, About 1,000 in April
Reuters and BlogMickey list the earlier rounds of cuts below.
Period
Reported cuts
Source
2023
About 7,000 roles, part of a $5.5 billion savings effort under former CEO Bob Iger
Reuters
2025
Several hundred jobs
Reuters
April 2026
About 1,000 positions
Reuters
September 2026
A few hundred employees in human resources and technology
Reuters
October 27, 2026
159 permanent layoffs at Walt Disney Imagineering's Glendale site, effective December 29, per a California WARN notice
BlogMickey
October 28, 2026
100 to 200 Disney Experiences employees, mostly at Imagineering
BlogMickey
Disney is not alone. Netflix (NFLX) and Skydance, which acquired Warner Bros Discovery earlier this year, have also cut jobs, Reuters reported. BlogMickey tied the industry cuts to falling traditional TV revenue and slowing streaming growth, and quoted Disney President Dana Walden at Bloomberg's Screentime conference in Los Angeles:
"There is a need to constantly evaluate how you're structured and how big is the organization."
What It Means for DIS Ahead of November 17 Earnings
Disney reports full fiscal 2026 results on November 17, and BlogMickey called that earnings report the next scheduled chance for D'Amaro to address the cuts publicly. Until then, neither the job count nor the divisions affected have been confirmed.
Disney Experiences, the parks and cruise unit whose inclusion in the target is unclear, brought in $36.2 billion of fiscal 2025 revenue and more than 56% of operating income, and about 80% of Disney's employees work there, according to BlogMickey.
This article is for education and information only and is not investment advice. Investment decisions are yours to make after your own research.
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M. Alfathan Rahman is a content writer with over 3 years of experience developing digital content strategies across various industries, including fintech. He has experience producing content for tax-related websites and financial education platforms. His focus areas include data research, and crafting financial articles that are informative, accurate, and accessible to investors of all experience levels.
Hendrie Saputra holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Business Risk & Finance, along with professional experience in finance, marketing, and project management. He is experienced in analyzing market data and developing research-driven business strategies.
