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Uber lays off 400 employees from global marketing team

The building that houses the headquarters of Uber is shown in San Francisco on June 21, 2107. (Eric Risberg / AP)
By Cathy Bussewitz Associated Press

NEW YORK – Uber is laying off 400 employees in marketing, about a quarter of the marketing team’s global workforce of 1,200 people.

The move, announced Monday, follows a leadership shake-up in June when CEO Dara Khosrowshahi combined the company’s marketing, communications and policy teams.

The ride-hailing company has struggled to prove it can become profitable and its stock has traded mostly below its IPO price since its debut in May. Uber has blamed its losses partly on its costly promotions to attract riders and drivers. Those promotions are crafted by its marketing department.

Khosrowshahi installed Jill Hazelbaker to lead marketing and public affairs in June. On Monday, they announced a more centralized structure for marketing and said they want to build a consistent brand narrative across audiences, products and regions.