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About 1,400 people in Nike’s Global Operations team will be laid off, the company announced Thursday.
In a memo to employees, Chief Operating Officer Venkatesh Alagirisamy said the cuts will mainly affect Nike’s technology division and will cover North America, Asia and Europe, which represents just under 2% of the company’s global workforce.
“This is not a new direction,” Alagirisamy wrote. “It’s the next phase of the work that’s already underway.”
The announcement follows a series of recent job losses due to Nike’s restructuring.
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Nike announced layoffs affecting about 1,400 employees as part of a broader restructuring, the company said. (iStock / iStock)
In January, the company said it would cut 775 jobs as part of an automation drive at distribution centers.
In February 2024, Nike announced plans to reduce its workforce by about 2%, or more than 1,600 employees, and a few months later in August, it said it would cut less than 1% of the company’s workforce as part of a broader turnaround under CEO Elliott Hill.
Shares rose about 0.5% in after-hours trading, although Nike stock has lost more than half its value in the past three years.
According to Alagirisamy’s memo, the layoffs are aimed at streamlining supply chains for materials, footwear and apparel, and centralizing technology operations in two hubs: Beaverton, Oregon and the Nike India Technology Center.
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The Nike logo is pictured at a store in Manhattan on March 30, 2026 in New York City. (Zamek/VIEWpress/Getty Images)
Nike also plans to bring some of Converse’s manufacturing and engineering operations closer to factory partners.
“These changes are intended to make the business less complex and more responsive,” Alagirisamy said. “As we look ahead, this means simplifying parts of the way we work, using more advanced automation where it helps us work better, and building an even stronger end-to-end foundation for future growth.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NKE | NIKE INC. | 44.78 | -0.90 |
-1.97% |
Hill, who became CEO in 2024, has pledged to refocus the Nike brand on core sports, such as running and football, while accelerating the launch of new products.
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Nike plans to lay off about 1,400 employees as it streamlines operations and invests in automation, the company said. (REUTERS/Anton Vaganov / Reuters)
Nike expects sales to decline 2% to 4% this quarter, while China, a key market, is expected to decline about 20%, the company said.
