EBay cuts 6% of staff in global restructuring

eBay is cutting about 800 jobs, or 6% of its global workforce, to align its structure with strategic priorities, the company announced on February 26.

The layoffs are spread across the company, based on operating model needs, areas of duplication, and alignment to future priorities.

As of Dec. 31, 2025, eBay employed around 12,300 people worldwide, according to its latest annual filing.

The company has been investing in AI, including a partnership with OpenAI, and recently announced plans to acquire Etsy’s resale app Depop for about US$1.2 billion in cash.

This move aims to strengthen eBay’s presence with consumers under 34 and expand its fashion category.

eBay’s restructuring follows ongoing efforts to optimize operations while increasing AI investments.

The company reported gross merchandise volume from focus categories, such as collectibles and refurbished goods, grew more than 16% year over year, according to its Q4 2025 earnings report.

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

The Depop deal came at a discount, as eBay restructures

eBay tied its layoff announcement to a broader restructuring plan aimed at simpler operations and a sharper org chart. The update followed its plan to buy Depop, a fashion resale app, for $1.2 billion in cash 1.
eBay’s Depop agreement landed about $400 million below the roughly $1.6 billion Etsy paid for the app in 2021 2.
Etsy had reason to offload non-core assets as it narrows its attention to its core marketplace business 3.
Depop brings a younger crowd to eBay through 7 million active buyers, with nearly 90% under age 34 2.

Buying growth is easy, but keeping it is the real challenge

Many legacy tech firms follow a familiar pattern. They buy a fast-growing platform to reach a new demographic, then trim costs to run the core business more efficiently 4.
The outcome hinges on integration. eBay needs to keep Depop’s Gen Z community engaged, since some users are already talking about worries over shifts in culture and fee structure 3.
Fashion resale keeps getting more crowded, and the category is growing nearly three times faster than the global apparel market 5.
eBay also competes with Vinted, a European fashion resale marketplace, as it tries to stay relevant with younger shoppers 2.