Uber lays off another 3,000 employees in fresh round of job cuts due to COVID-19

Uber Technologies Inc, which owns ride-hailing services Uber among other digital businesses, is cutting additional 3,000 jobs, after announcing that it would eliminate about 3,700 jobs amid COVID-19 pandemic. 

Earlier this month, Uber announced that it was eliminating about 3,700 jobs and planned to save more than $1 billion in fixed costs.

In an email to staff Monday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company would close down 45 offices and lay off some 3,000 additional people. 

The lockdown measures in the US and other countries amid COVID-19 pandemic has affected Uber's ride-hailing business which nearly accounted for three-quarters of the company’s revenue before the pandemic struck, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

“We’re seeing some signs of a recovery, but it comes off of a deep hole, with limited visibility as to its speed and shape,” Khosrowshahi said in his note to employees. 

He said while the company’s food-delivery arm, Uber Eats, has been a bright spot during the crisis “the business today doesn’t come close to covering our expenses.” 

“I will not make any claims with absolute certainty regarding our future,” Khosrowshahi said, adding, “I will tell you, however, that we are making really, really hard choices now, so that we can say our goodbyes, have as much clarity as we can, move forward, and start to build again with confidence.”

The United States is the worst-affected country in the world with nearly 1.5 million cases and close to 90,000 deaths.