Mozilla has announced it is laying off approximately 250 employees, as a result of the effect of the pandemic on the company’s revenue.
Mozilla laid off 70 employees back in January in an effort to help fund further innovation. At the time, CEO Mitchell Baker indicated there could be more layoffs in the future. At the time, however, no one could have predicted a worldwide pandemic, or the impact it would have on Mozilla’s business.
“Today we announced a significant restructuring of Mozilla Corporation,” writes Baker. “This will strengthen our ability to build and invest in products and services that will give people alternatives to conventional Big Tech. Sadly, the changes also include a significant reduction in our workforce by approximately 250 people. These are individuals of exceptional professional and personal caliber who have made outstanding contributions to who we are today. To each of them, I extend my heartfelt thanks and deepest regrets that we have come to this point. This is a humbling recognition of the realities we face, and what is needed to overcome them.”
While a difficult decision, Baker says it will help Mozilla be more nimble and competitive in the new tech climate.
“So going forward we will be smaller.,” continues Baker. “We’ll also be organizing ourselves very differently, acting more quickly and nimbly. We’ll experiment more. We’ll adjust more quickly. We’ll join with allies outside of our organization more often and more effectively. We’ll meet people where they are. We’ll become great at expressing and building our core values into products and programs that speak to today’s issues. We’ll join and build with all those who seek openness, decency, empowerment and common good in online life.”