Starbucks is laying off 252 corporate employees at its Seattle headquarters and in remote positions starting this July, according to a formal notice filed with the Washington State Employment Security Department on Friday, marking the largest single round of corporate cuts at the company this year.
The layoffs are permanent and will affect employees who report to managers at Starbucks’ Seattle Support Center at 2401 Utah Avenue S. Affected workers are receiving 60 days advance notice, with the first terminations scheduled for 17 July. The full reduction process is expected to be completed by 1 February 2027.
The positions being eliminated span a wide range of seniority levels and functions, from administrative assistants and financial analysts to brand managers, legal specialists, directors, and nine vice presidents. The company confirmed in its filing that none of the affected employees are represented by a labour union and that none hold bumping rights, meaning they cannot use seniority to displace other workers within the organisation.
Starbucks said the cuts are tied to plans to shift certain business functions, with some roles being relocated and others contracted out. The company did not elaborate on which functions are being restructured or where they are being moved.
The Friday announcement is a significant escalation in Starbucks’ ongoing corporate downsizing effort. The company made two separate rounds of cuts earlier this spring, eliminating 61 positions on 8 May and 69 jobs on 27 March. Combined with Friday’s notice, Starbucks has now announced the elimination of 382 corporate positions in 2026 alone, adding to the growing list of Seattle-area technology and corporate employers that have reduced their workforces this year.
