Starbucks has announced to cut 300 jobs in the US, adding it has started a review of its international corporate workforce. The layoffs marks Starbucks’ third round of layoffs since CEO Brian Niccol took the helm. As reported by CNBC, the combined severance costs and reassessment of its office space will result in restructuring charges of $400 million. The layoffs do not impact its coffeehouse staff, the report stated. “We are taking further action under the Back to Starbucks strategy, building on our strong business momentum and working to return the company to durable, profitable growth,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. “Leaders have taken a hard look at their respective functions to further sharpen focus, prioritize work, reduce complexity, and lower costs,” the spokesperson added.
Third round of job cuts under Starbucks CEO
The latest round of job cuts is the third layoff under the leadership of Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol. First layoffs were announced in February 2025 when announced to cut 1,100 jobs and not fill several hundred other open positions. Seven months later, the company announced another round of job cuts, slashing 900 jobs in its nonretail workers as part of a $1 billion restructuring plan.According to a regulatory filing, Starbucks had around 9,000 non-retail employees in the United States and another 5,000 workers in international regional support roles as of September 28, 2025.
Starbucks turnaround shows strong results under Brian Niccol
Under CEO Brian Niccol, Starbucks has been working on a major turnaround plan for its US business. The company had earlier faced slowing sales because of growing competition and customers cutting back on spending. As part of the recovery plan, Starbucks improved operations at its cafes, introduced new menu items, brought back seating in stores and increased staffing levels at coffeehouses.The company’s latest quarterly results showed signs of improvement. Starbucks said its US same-store sales rose 7.1%, helped by a 4.3% increase in customer transactions.It marked the second consecutive quarter of customer traffic growth at Starbucks cafes in the US. “This quarter marked a milestone for Starbucks – and the turn in our turnaround,” Niccol said in a video shared alongside the company’s fiscal second-quarter results in April.
