From Twitter's Turmoil To Spotify's Shakeup: Engineer Faces Another Pre-Holiday Layoff - Read

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New Delhi: Music giant Spotify dropped a bombshell on Monday, revealing plans to cut around 1,500 jobs, making up 17 percent of its workforce. This move, aiming to cut costs, follows earlier layoffs of 600 employees in January and an additional 200 in June. Notably, the recent layoffs hit just before the holiday season, adding a bitter note to the festive period.

One Employee's Unfortunate

Freddie Carthy, who joined Spotify last year as a Senior Web Engineer, found himself on the receiving end of this decision. His history took a twist when he left Twitter due to Elon Musk's takeover, only to face job loss again at Spotify, echoing the timing of his departure from Twitter just a year ago. ()

Social Media Backlash

Carthy's candid sharing on social media sparked criticism, questioning the timing of Spotify's substantial layoffs, especially close to Christmas. The company's recent strong financial performance, with a rare quarterly net profit of 65 million euros in October and a 26 percent surge in active users, added fuel to the controversy. ()

CEO's Explanation and Company Expansion

In a message to the staff, Spotify's CEO Daniel Ek explained the job cuts as a measure to align the company's growth with capital costs. Despite impressive gains, the company faced scrutiny for having surplus resources and the timing of such a significant reduction in its workforce.