Starbucks layoffs: 224 workers to lose jobs as company restructures

Starbucks is eliminating **224 corporate jobs** as the coffee giant completes the latest phase of its ongoing restructuring and prepares to expand its corporate presence in Nashville. The company said the layoffs will begin on October 19, with all employee departures expected to be completed by November 1. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing submitted to Washington state regulators, the cuts include **120 employees who declined to relocate from Seattle to Nashville** and another 104 workers from the team responsible for store design and construction. Starbucks said the 104 positions were eliminated following a leadership restructuring within the department. The other 120 employees lost their positions after choosing not to move to the company’s planned Nashville headquarters. Starbucks is expected to open its new corporate office in Nashville by 2027 as part of a broader effort to reshape its corporate operations. The relocation plan has faced resistance from some Seattle employees, with reports indicating that workers were offered financial incentives to make the move. Some employees were reportedly offered stock grants worth tens of thousands of dollars, while the company also proposed retention packages starting at **$15,000** for workers who agreed to remain with Starbucks until at least 2027. However, some employees were also told their pay could be reduced by at least 5% because of differences in the cost of living between Seattle and Nashville. The latest cuts mark the conclusion of a global restructuring that Starbucks announced in May. That restructuring originally involved eliminating **252 corporate positions**. While the latest layoffs represent a small portion of Starbucks’ overall workforce, they continue a broader pattern of corporate job reductions under CEO **Brian Niccol**. Starbucks employed approximately **381,000 people worldwide** as of September 2025, according to its fiscal annual report. The company has also carried out multiple rounds of layoffs in Washington state over the past two years. According to the state’s WARN database, more than **2,500 Starbucks employees** have been affected by layoffs in Washington during that period. Niccol has made reducing corporate expenses and streamlining operations a major priority since becoming CEO. During his first month in the role, Starbucks eliminated hundreds of non-retail positions as part of an effort to reduce corporate headcount and costs. The company later announced additional job reductions as part of a broader restructuring plan targeting approximately **$1 billion in savings**. Starbucks has also outlined plans to reduce costs by as much as **$2 billion over two years**. The strategy includes reviewing underperforming stores and restructuring parts of the company’s international operations. The company is also considering changes to its business in China, including a potential sale of a stake in that market. The latest layoffs therefore represent more than a single workforce reduction, reflecting Starbucks’ broader attempt to reorganize its corporate structure and reduce expenses. As the company shifts more operations toward Nashville, employees who remain will face a changing corporate landscape while Starbucks continues its effort to return to stronger growth and profitability.