Get All Access for $5/mo

Etsy's CEO Says the Timing of Laying Off 225 Employees So Close to Christmas Is 'Unfortunate' Following the news, Etsy stock dropped over 5 percent.

By Sam Silverman

Key Takeaways

  • Etsy CEO Josh Silverman announced the company is cutting 11 percent of its workforce or 225 employees on Wednesday.
  • He called the timing "unfortunate" in a letter to staffers.
  • Etsy's CMO Ryan Scott will step down effective Dec. 31.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Etsy is cutting 11% of its workforce Wednesday due to what the company said was a "very difficult yet necessary [decision] to better position Etsy for future growth."

According to an SEC filing on Tuesday, the board approved plans to cut costs amid a restructuring that will cut nearly 225 workers, bringing its workforce down to 1,770, per Fox Business.

Following the news, Etsy stock dropped by over 5 percent.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Josh Silverman, chief executive officer of Etsy Inc., smiles during a Bloomberg Technology television interview in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018.

RELATED: How This Seller Makes $12,000 a Month of Passive Income on Etsy

Etsy CEO Josh Silverman announced the news to staffers in an email letter on Wednesday that was later made public on Etsy's website.

"We are operating in a very challenging macro and competitive environment, and [gross merchandise sales] has remained essentially flat since 2021," Silverman wrote in the email. "At the same time, employee expenses have grown, even as we have introduced significant cost-cutting measures and adjusted or paused hiring plans. This is ultimately not a sustainable trajectory and we must change it."

In the email, Silverman acknowledged that sharing layoff news right before Christmas was not ideal.

"Once we knew we needed to make workforce reductions, we wanted to communicate our decision with you as soon as possible," Silverman wrote. "However, that puts us in the unfortunate position of sharing this news amid the winter holidays."

Most affected employees were told on Wednesday it was their last day, though Etsy did say it would pay salaries through Jan. 2. Additionally, laid-off employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks' pay, 12 months of COBRA health care coverage, and three months of career service support.

RELATED: A Taylor Swift-Inspired Side Hustle Is Making People Tens of Thousands: 'Paid More Than My Full-Time Job'

The layoffs will cost the company between $25 million and $30 million in severance pay and other costs, the company said in the SEC filing. The restructuring plan is set to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2024, per CNBC.

Etsy's CMO Ryan Scott will step down effective Dec. 31 but will stay on as an adviser until the end of June as part of the restructuring plan, per CNBC. He will be replaced by COO Raina Moskowitz who will hold the new title of chief operating and marketing officer.

Sam Silverman

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Entrepreneur Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found in The US Sun, Nicki Swift, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style and Health. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, entrepreneurship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

'It's Not About You': How to Fire Someone Effectively, According to Kevin O'Leary

O'Leary says that if you can't fire someone, you aren't the right leader for the organization.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Business News

Meta Makes $1 Million Dollar Donation to Donald Trump's Inaugural Fund

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also reportedly gave Trump a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.