Uber reduces its HR department by 23% following the appointment of new president Hazelbaker.

      Uber is reducing 23% of its People and Places division following the promotion of Jill Hazelbaker to president. The company asserts that this restructuring is not related to AI, despite a slowdown in hiring in other areas due to the internal adoption of AI technologies.

      Just three weeks into her new role, Jill Hazelbaker announced on Wednesday that Uber will cut 23% of positions in its People and Places division, which manages human resources, recruitment, workplace facilities, and corporate culture.

      These layoffs, many of which will affect senior positions, represent less than 1% of Uber’s global workforce of 34,000 corporate employees, as reported by CNBC. The company's approximately 10 million drivers are classified separately as independent contractors.

      A Bloomberg spokesperson mentioned that the layoffs are not connected to artificial intelligence, a point Uber seems eager to make while the tech sector overall is reducing thousands of jobs for AI-related efficiency reasons.

      Hazelbaker’s responsibilities have expanded significantly. She previously managed marketing, communications, and public policy and was promoted on May 11 following the departure of chief people officer Nikki Krishnamurthy. An SEC filing confirmed that her new role now includes overseeing safety operations and the People and Places division.

      “In our growth, certain areas of the organization have become overly complex and fragmented, leading to overlapping responsibilities, unclear ownership, and teams that are distant from the businesses and partners they serve,” Hazelbaker stated in a memo to impacted teams on Wednesday.

      CEO Dara Khosrowshahi supported these changes in a separate internal note, stating, “These adjustments are crucial to enhance the effectiveness of the People team and the significant potential ahead.”

      It’s important to highlight Uber's stance that these layoffs are not connected to AI, especially since the company is navigating the implications of AI on its workforce. Recently, Fortune reported that Uber exhausted its 2026 AI coding budget within four months by motivating engineers to utilize AI tools. Approximately 95% of the company’s engineers are reported to use AI tools monthly, with nearly 70% of committed code produced by these systems.

      Last month, Uber indicated it would slow hiring as a direct consequence of its internal AI adoption. However, it still lists over 800 job openings, including roles aimed at commercializing robotaxi partnerships with companies like Rivian, Wayve, and Nuro.

      The distinction Uber makes— that HR layoffs are structural while engineering hiring reflects AI's effects— mirrors a common narrative in the industry. Recently, Chinese courts ruled that replacing employees with AI does not provide legal grounds for dismissal, highlighting the growing tension between corporate restructuring justifications and the underlying motivations for them.

      Additionally, the layoffs aren't the only changes affecting Uber's HR staff. Employees in the People and Places division who had previously been allowed to work remotely are now being instructed to adhere to the company's office attendance policy of three days a week, which began in June 2025. This policy faced considerable internal resistance when first announced, with employees voicing their disapproval in internal forums. Khosrowshahi responded bluntly, stating that employees who favored remote work would “have to make a choice.”

      This is not the first time Uber’s People team has experienced cuts. In 2023, the company targeted its recruiting team and the online grocery subsidiary Cornershop. This latest round of layoffs follows a similar pattern: cut the workforce support functions while continuing to invest in technology that may later reduce the overall workforce needed.

      Uber’s stock price fell by 0.6% to $71.21 in morning trading on Wednesday, recovering from earlier losses. The market seems familiar with the trend that reducing HR roles does not equate to diminishing the business, even if those affected feel differently.