AT&T is planing to lay off thousands of workers at its WarnerMedia subsidiary, according to a report.
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal said the layoffs are expected in the following weeks and will likely affect employees across WarnerMedia’s production studio and television network properties. Affected subsidiaries include the Turner Network channels and HBO, unnamed sources told the financial publication.
“Like the rest of the entertainment industry, we have not been immune to the significant impact of the pandemic,” an AT&T spokesperson told the Journal. “We are in the midst of that process and it will involve increased investments in priority areas and, unfortunately, reductions in others.”
The spokesperson said the company would refocus its efforts on what the Journal described as “growth opportunities.”
The Journal did not report the precise number of jobs that are expected to be lost. It is the second time in several months AT&T has issued pink slips to employees, with the latest round of job cuts impacting more than 500 workers in August. AT&T currently employs over 200,000 people.
The move comes as other studios have responded to a downturn in the economy brought on by the global coronavirus health pandemic by slashing jobs. AT&T’s rivals Comcast Corporation, the Walt Disney Company and ViacomCBS have also reduced headcount since the start of the year.
