Nike lays off 1,400 employees in global operations team, with technology department hit hardest

Nike announced on Thursday that it will cut approximately1,400 positionsfrom its global operations team, withmost of the cuts concentrated in the technology department. The company's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerVenkatesh Alagirisamysaid in the announcement that the move aims to optimize the supply chain and accelerate technology deployment.

Alagirisamy said the company is building a more streamlined operational structure and improving collaboration between technology teams and the business. Nike will concentrate its technology work in two major hubs: thePhilip H. Knight campus in Beaverton, Oregon, and theNike India Technology Center。

"These changes are designed to make the company leaner and more responsive," Alagirisamy said. "Looking ahead, this means simplifying some aspects of our operations, adopting more advanced automation where it helps improve efficiency, and building a stronger end-to-end foundation for future growth."

Industry context: wave of layoffs in the tech sector continues to spread

Nike's layoff decision comes amid a wave of job cuts across the corporate world, including at some companies that specifically target technology workers. This trend has begun to erode confidence among IT professionals.

In February of this year,Home Depotcut800 positions, most of which were in its technology organization. Since October 2025,Amazonhas cut30,000 employees, which the company says is related to an ongoingcultural transformation. Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg,Metaplans to cut approximately10% of its workforcein May, partly driven by its AI strategy.

According to an April report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, tech companies have cutmore than 52,000 employeesin 2026, a 40% increase from the same period last year. The firm expects the tech industry to face more layoffs this year as budgets shift toward AI investments.

Additionally, according to a March report from Glassdoor, over the past year, the tech industry saw themost significant decline in employee confidence, driven by years of cost-cutting and layoffs at companies.

Nike's "Win Now" strategy enters its final phase

Nike's technology-focused layoffs come as the company enters the final phase of its"Win Now" transformation strategy, which was launched by Nike CEO Elliott Hillin December 2025, focusing on innovation and operational efficiency.

Hill announcedmajor executive changeslast December to accelerate the "Win Now" initiatives, including bringing in Alagirisamy to better integrate technology into business operations. Hill said in the announcement at the time: "He and his team will now be able to look at things end-to-end, ensuring technology is fully integrated across the company and in how we create, plan, manufacture, deliver, and sell innovative products for our three iconic brands."

During Nike's fiscal 2026 third-quarterearnings callin March, Hill said that although the plan will take some time to complete, he expects the "Win Now" initiatives to conclude bythe end of 2026.

"We are reshaping the market landscape, readjusting how we operate, and investing in technology platforms that we expect will help us better serve more consumers and run the business more efficiently," Hill said on the call.