Netflix has announced its plans to lay off roughly 1,000 employees globally, affecting roughly 6 percent of its workforce. The job cuts were announced by co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters in an internal email on October 14, 2026.
As news of the layoffs spread, former Netflix employees began posting messages of support on LinkedIn. A few offered practical help, hiring referrals, recruiters’ meetings, résumé reviews, and advice for people looking for their next job.
Netflix Cuts around 1,000 jobs globally and this week’s layoffs are Netflix’s biggest workforce cut since 2022. The majority of the layoffs are expected to be in the company’s product, technology, legal, and human resources divisions.
In a message to employees, Sarandos and Peters said that the company needed to be disciplined about how it deployed its people and resources. Netflix’s business was strong, with the company on track to meet its full-year forecast, they said.
Netflix had over 16,000 employees at the end of 2025.
The news marks the first time Netflix has ever had a bigger number of viewers, and there are questions about the speed at which it is growing.
Former Netflix employees on LinkedIn. Though the layoffs have raised questions about Netflix’s business model, many former employees have rallied around those affected by the layoffs in order to help the people they’ve lost. Some Netflix alumni wrote on LinkedIn to encourage those who’ve experienced layoffs to remain hopeful and ask for help. Some were also available to look at résumés, make professional introductions, contact job-seeking recruiters, and refer them to others.
And one former member of staff told colleagues that there was life after Netflix and encouraged them to keep their heads up. Others admitted that uncertainty and emotional strain can come with the unexpected loss of a job.
Some of the posts were more than just general encouragement. Former employees also asked people with experience in data engineering, analytics engineering, and data science to contact them about potential opportunities.
From these responses, professional networks can be used as an actual source of help during layoffs. A referral or introduction does not guarantee employment, but it can help job seekers find openings and connect with hiring teams.
Why are Netflix’s layoffs happening?
Netflix has job cuts as the streaming service is becoming more competitive. YouTube and TikTok are out there, and traditional entertainment companies are still investing in their own services.
Netflix is expanding beyond its core subscription business through advertising, live programming, video podcasts, and gaming. But analysts have questioned if these efforts can generate enough new revenue to sustain the company’s growth.
In September, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at a Bloomberg event that the company wasn’t growing as fast as he’d hoped. Netflix’s viewing hours increased to 97 billion during the first half of 2026, up by about 2 percent from 2025. The numbers suggest that viewing continued to grow, although at a relatively slow pace for a company of Netflix’s scale.
Netflix has not yet laid out the reason for the job cuts.
And although some social media users have speculated that AI is playing a role in the tech sector, speculation can’t be taken as a reason for this particular decision.
Netflix still believes its business is strong. Despite the workforce reduction, Netflix’s hierarchy has told us the company is on track to reach its full-year financial forecast.
The layoffs, however, illustrate the difficult choices large companies face as they try to balance spending, competition, and future growth. Job cuts may affect not only employees but their families and professional networks too.
For workers who lose their jobs, the immediate problems can be finding new jobs, managing financial obligations, and how to take them through the next step in their careers.
The response from former Netflix employees has given us an example of how professional communities can help during such times. They have not just expressed sympathy; many have provided tangible help to colleagues in search of new jobs.
What the LinkedIn Response Means for Job Seekers.
The Netflix layoffs also demonstrate the importance of having professional connections beyond the job situation.
For those impacted by layoffs, the best thing to do is to update LinkedIn profiles, contact former colleagues, ask for referrals, and look for jobs that fit with their experience. Technical employees can also point out what skills and projects they have when they are interviewing for a job.
Support posts and referrals, however, are not the same as confirmed job openings. Anyone who is looking to get work should bring up vacancies directly with employers and recruiters.
Netflix’s recent layoffs are still a big workforce shake-up for the streaming industry, and the responses from former employees have served as a reminder of the role professional networks can play when employees are faced with sudden job disruption and how workers are not prepared for that.
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