The Wall Street Journal

CEOs Are Shrinking Their Workforces—and They Couldn’t Be Prouder

Bosses aren’t just unapologetic about staff cuts. Many are touting shrinking head counts as accomplishments in the AI era.

Illustration of a boss relaxing on a conference table surrounded by empty chairs.
Illustration: Alexandra Citrin-Safadi/WSJ; iStock

Big companies are getting smaller—and their CEOs want everyone to know it. 

The careful, coded corporate language executives once used in describing staff cuts is giving way to blunt boasts about ever-shrinking workforces. Gone are the days when trimming head count signaled retrenchment or trouble. Bosses are showing off to Wall Street that they are embracing artificial intelligence and serious about becoming lean.

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