Audible In Newark Moving Forward With Announced Layoffs

NEWARK, NJ — Audible is preparing to lay off dozens of employees this spring, the result of a decision made in January.

The Amazon-owned audiobook and podcast service – which has a headquarters in Newark – will be laying off 62 workers by April 10, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) advisory on the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development website.

WARN notices offer protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs.

In January, Audible CEO Bob Carrigan announced that the company would be cutting ties with about five percent of its workforce.

“Those employees have already received a meeting invite for a conversation with their HR business partners and team leaders,” Carrigan stated in a memo.

Carrigan said the layoffs were a tough decision that comes after a boom last year:

“I want to acknowledge the strong year we had in 2023, in which we delivered amazing listening experiences for our customers thanks to outstanding collaboration with creators and partners. Our business is in good shape, and that is because of the hard work of each and every one of you. However, to position us for continued success in the coming year and into the future, given the increasingly challenging landscape we face, we have to take this difficult decision now. As a company driven by our People Principles and in particular Activate Caring, we did not take this route without considerable thought. But getting leaner and more efficient is the way we will need to operate now—and in the foreseeable future—in order to continue delivering best-in-class audio storytelling to our customers around the world.”

“I recognize the impact this will have on those transitioning out of Audible as well as all of you who remain,” Carrigan added. “Thanks to all who are leaving us for their valuable contributions. Please be assured we will be supporting our departing colleagues as they look for their next opportunity.”

The layoffs at Audible follow others announced earlier this year in Amazon’s Prime Video and MGM Studios unit, which is trimming hundreds of employees from its payroll, the Associated Press previously reported.

Amazon bought Audible for about $300 million in 2008.

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