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A Starbucks cafe in Seattle. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)
Layoffs at Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks will impact 612 workers in Washington according to a new filing from the state’s Employment Security Department on Thursday.
The number represents more than half of the 1,100 corporate positions that Starbucks announced it was cutting in a notice to employees this week.
It’s one of the largest layoffs ever at the Seattle-based coffee giant and comes as CEO Brian Niccol tries to lead a turnaround of a slumping business after taking over the top job in September.
Niccol said in a memo to employees on Monday that his plan was to simplify Starbucks’ structure, “removing layers and duplication and creating smaller, more nimble teams.”
Starbucks employed about 16,000 workers in corporate roles as of September — that number also includes roasting, manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution employees, who were not impacted by the layoffs. The cuts do not impact in-store employees.
Starbucks had around 361,000 employees worldwide as of September.
Layoff Tracker: Recent job cuts across the Pacific Northwest.
