Firefox maker Mozilla to fire 60 employees as tech layoffs continue

Mozilla said that the move affects about 5% of its workforce and that the layoffs were primarily in the product development organization

Mozilla Corp., the maker of web browser Firefox, is cutting about 60 jobs as part of a shake-up under a new chief executive officer.

Mozilla last cut a significant number of jobs four years ago at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (Mozilla.org website)

Mozilla said that the move affects about 5% of its workforce and that the cuts were primarily in the product development organisation. The company informed employees of the decision on Tuesday.

“We’re scaling back investment in some product areas in order to focus on areas that we feel have the greatest chance of success,” Mozilla said in a statement. “We intend to re-prioritize resources against products like Firefox Mobile, where there’s a significant opportunity to grow and establish a better model for the industry.”

The move comes a week after the company named Laura Chambers as its CEO. She’s a former Airbnb Inc. and eBay Inc. executive who joined Mozilla’s board three years ago. Mitchell Baker, Mozilla’s longtime chief, stepped down to become the company’s executive chairman.

In addition to Firefox, Mozilla’s products include email software Thunderbird and article-saving app Pocket.

The move comes after a string of tech layoffs, with more than 32,000 jobs lost in the industry so far this year. Several major tech companies have made cuts in recent weeks, including Amazon.com Inc. and Snap Inc.