Starbucks quietly cuts hundreds of jobs at Seattle headquarters
SEATTLE - Starbucks is laying off 252 corporate workers at its Seattle Support Center headquarters starting this July, according to an official state workforce notice filed Friday.
FILE - The Starbucks mermaid logo is displayed at the company's corporate headquarters in Seattle on April 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Mass corporate layoffs hit Seattle headquarters
What we know:
Starbucks sent a formal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notication Act letter to the Washington Employment Security Department on Friday, revealing a major staff reduction at its corporate hub. The permanent layoffs will impact 2401 Utah Ave S, Suite 800, in Seattle.
Corporate employees affected by the cuts are receiving a 60-day advance notice before their employment ends permanently. According to the company's letter, the first group of job terminations will take place on July 17. The entire staff reduction process is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 1, 2027.
The notification confirms that the impacted corporate staff members are not represented by a labor union. Additionally, none of these workers hold bumping rights, meaning they cannot use their seniority status to displace or replace other employees within the company.
Management stated the layoffs are tied to plans for shifting operations, noting that the cuts will result in the relocation or contracting out of certain business functions and corporate positions.
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According to the letter, the major job titles listed in the layoff notice range from administrative assistants and directors to financial analysts, brand managers, legal specialists, and nine vice presidents.
By the numbers:
The latest filing marks a significant escalation in corporate downsizing at the Seattle coffee giant over the last few months. This single Friday announcement targets 252 positions. It follows two separate corporate workforce reductions announced by the company earlier this spring: a May 8 cut that eliminated 61 positions, and a March 27 reduction that eliminated 69 jobs.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from an official corporate WARN notification sent by Starbucks Executive Vice President Sara Kelly to the Washington State Employment Security Department's Grants Management Office on May 15, 2026.
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