Elon Musk has reportedly carried out another round of layoffs at X, his social media company formerly known as Twitter. This wave of job cuts mainly impacts the engineering department, according to sources inside X and posts on Blind, a popular workplace discussion forum. The exact number of employees affected remains unclear.
Recent Job Cuts
This layoff follows a requirement two months ago when X staff were instructed to submit a one-page summary detailing their contributions to the company. According to sources, this assessment may have influenced the latest job cuts, though Musk or X has not publicly commented on this report.
Recently, Musk reportedly sent an email to X employees about potential stock grants. However, there was a catch — employees must demonstrate their contributions through a one-page summary to be eligible for these stock options. This move places additional pressure on employees to showcase their value to the company.
Layoffs Since Musk’s Acquisition
Since Musk purchased X in 2022, layoffs have continued in waves. The billionaire initially cut over 6,000 jobs, about 80% of X’s workforce, affecting various departments, including diversity, product development, design, and content moderation. Musk’s approach involved employees evaluating both their roles and those of their colleagues.
In January 2024, X’s trust and safety team—responsible for ensuring a safe online environment—also saw major reductions, with approximately 1,000 employees laid off. The department lost about 80% of its software engineers focused on preventing abusive content. These reductions have left current employees concerned about the platform’s ability to maintain a safe user experience.
X Struggles Under Musk’s Leadership
Musk’s restructuring efforts have led to cost-cutting but have also raised concerns over employee morale and platform safety. Many remaining employees are reportedly concerned about further layoffs as the company continues to evolve under Musk’s management. X is also facing pressure in the social media landscape, especially with content moderation challenges following significant workforce reductions.
