Warner Begins Another Big Round of Layoffs

WarnerMedia began a second round of layoffs on Tuesday, as outlined in a memo sent to employees by the chief executive. According to the Hollywood Reporter, between 5 percent and 7 percent of WarnerMedia's 25,000 employees are expected to be let go, according to a source familiar with the matter. That equates to as many as 1,750 employees.It is not known how Warner’s Burbank studio operations may be impacted by the layoffs. Warner Bros. Entertainment ranked No. 9 on the Business Journal’s private-sector employers list this year with an estimated 4,400 employees in the San Fernando Valley. In August, more than 500 local employees were laid off. In the memo to employees, printed in full by entertainment news website Deadline, Chief Executive Jason Kilar said that the executives of the company arrived at a number of difficult decisions that will result in a smaller WarnerMedia team. “This is a function of removing layers and the impact of consolidating previously separate organizations,” Kilar wrote. “Starting today in North America, we will be sharing which jobs are being eliminated and which roles have changed.”In his memo, Kilar thanked the employees for continuing to contribute the company’s operations during “this challenging period and the additional pressure of everything else that has been going on in the world.” “To our colleagues who are leaving, I wish there were words to lessen today’s pain,” Kilar wrote at the memo’s conclusion. “Your contributions are a permanent part of this great company and today’s news does not change that.”Kilar will host a town hall meeting for all WarnerMedia employees on Wednesday.