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Expedia files for second Seattle layoff round of 2026

Expedia files for second Seattle layoff round of 2026

Money Moves Seattle, WA local

58 roles at HQ, weighted toward senior finance and data science positions

September 22nd, 2026: Expedia files WARN notice for 58 Seattle jobs

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Expedia Group filed a notice with Washington state on September 22, planning to permanently cut 58 jobs at its Seattle waterfront campus. The layoff is dated to begin November 21.

About 71% of the roles sit in finance and data science, including an SVP, two VPs, and director-level leaders. The cut follows a 162-person WARN round in January and an August executive shakeup tied to AI-focused restructuring. The filing itself cites no business reason.

Why it matters

Expedia's second Washington cut of 2026 shows Seattle tech shifting from broad layoffs to targeted, senior-level restructuring.

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Key Indicators

58
Employees in September WARN filing
Permanent separations scheduled between November 21 and December 1 at the Interbay campus.
71%
Share of roles in finance and data science
41 of the 58 positions are in finance, tax, audit, or data science.
162
Employees in January WARN round
Earlier 2026 cut hit engineering, product, and design roles in Seattle.
16,000
Global headcount at end of 2025
About half of Expedia Group employees work in technology roles.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 2026 September 2026

4 events Latest: September 22nd, 2026 · 1 week ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Expedia files WARN notice for 58 Seattle jobs

    Latest Regulatory filing

    Expedia, Inc. files WARN notice with Washington state for 58 permanent layoffs at its Seattle waterfront campus, effective November 21.

  2. Expedia parts with 8 VPs and SVPs

    Internal reorganization

    At least eight vice presidents and senior VPs leave in a product and technology reorganization (August 2026).

  3. CEO calls AI a force multiplier

    Earnings call

    CEO Ariane Gorin tells investors AI enables smaller, faster teams, signaling continued restructuring.

  4. Expedia files first WARN round of 2026

    Regulatory filing

    Expedia files WARN notice for 162 Seattle roles across engineering, product, and design. Roughly 10% of the tech team's roles were eliminated.

Scenarios

1

Expedia completes the 58-person Seattle layoff

Likely Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: Standard WARN practice; a filed notice rarely gets withdrawn without a stated change in plans.

Expedia filed the WARN notice on the earliest permitted date for a November 21 start, and the letter says the 58 separations will be permanent. Without a sudden business reversal or strategic pivot, the layoff proceeds as filed through the December 1 completion window.

2

Expedia announces a third Washington layoff in 2027

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Seattle tech observers and Expedia's own pattern: two WARN rounds in 2026 plus an August exec shakeup.

Expedia has cut 220 Washington roles this year and reorganized product and tech teams. If the AI-driven streamlining continues, the company files another WARN notice within the next six months as it completes its restructure.

3

Expedia withdraws or sharply reduces the layoff

Unlikely Resolves by Nov 21, 2026

Discussed by: Rare in practice; companies usually only pull a WARN notice after a major change, such as a deal or bailout.

For the notice to be pulled, Expedia would need a sudden change: new investment, a reversal of the restructuring plan, or a decision that the 58 roles are still needed. The letter says the layoffs will be permanent and no union or bumping rights exist.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2020

Expedia's COVID-era collapse (2020)

As the pandemic halted global travel, Expedia's business collapsed. Employment that had peaked above 25,000 in 2019 fell to 14,800, a cut of more than 40%.

Then

The company slashed thousands of jobs and reorganized its brands during a demand freeze.

Now

Expedia emerged smaller and has since cycled through layoffs and hiring as travel recovered.

Why this matters now

It shows Expedia's pattern of using downturns or structural shifts to permanently shrink its workforce, now with AI cited as the driver.

2024-2026

Seattle tech's incremental layoff wave (2024-2026)

Major Seattle employers — Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, T-Mobile, Uber, Google, Starbucks, Qualtrics, Salesforce — have run targeted, incremental layoffs rather than single large cuts, according to GeekWire.

Then

Workers face repeated small rounds that are harder to organize against than one big event.

Now

The region's tech workforce is being reshaped without the dramatic headlines of the 2022-2023 wave.

Why this matters now

Expedia's September filing fits this pattern: a small, senior-heavy cut rather than a mass layoff.

Sources

(4)