TikTok Cuts More Workers From US E-Commerce Division
TikTok Shop’s US operations have undergone a series of changes in the past few months following a year in which the division fell short of internal sales targets.
TikTok is cutting more workers from its US e-commerce division, TikTok Shop, the third round of layoffs for that team since April.
"As the TikTok Shop business evolves, we regularly review our operations to ensure long-term success,” a spokesperson for the video-sharing app said in a statement Wednesday. “We’ve made the difficult decision to adjust parts of our team to better align with strategic priorities." TikTok didn’t respond to the question of how many people are being cut.
TikTok Shop’s US operations have undergone a series of changes in the past few months following a year in which the division fell short of internal sales targets. TikTok Shop eliminated some jobs in April and enacted a second round of cuts in May, Bloomberg previously reported.
The team has also been replacing US-hired staff near Seattle with managers connected to China — an effort to replicate the e-commerce success that parent company ByteDance Ltd. has had in Asia.
Despite the changes, TikTok Shop has been the social media app’s fastest-growing business, and a major focus for ByteDance globally. Last year, TikTok Shop opened in five new countries in Europe, including Germany and Spain.
TikTok’s US future remains in limbo as the company faces a potential ban over national security concerns. Under a US law passed in 2024, Beijing-based ByteDance is required to divest TikTok to avoid being banned in the country. President Donald Trump, who has extended the deadline for a divestment to mid-September, has said he has a buyer lined up for the app, and just needs approval from the Chinese government for the sale.
