TikTok lays off staff in Singapore, with at least a dozen impacted

TikTok has laid off at least a dozen employees in Singapore today (February 20), according to The Straits Times.

The layoffs come after “months of careful consideration” and are part of a broader global effort to streamline its backend teams and better align operations with the company’s long-term growth plans.

Employees in TikTok’s trust and safety department received letters notifying them of the internal reorganisation, though it remains unclear if other departments were also impacted.

However, a source familiar with the matter told The Straits Times that the cuts extended to teams in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the US.

The latest layoffs are part of TikTok’s ongoing restructuring efforts following significant workforce cuts in 2024.

The company had reportedly planned to lay off a large portion of its staff from its global user, content and marketing teams back in May 2024.

Five months later, TikTok said that it had laid off hundreds of employees worldwide, with a significant number of staff in Malaysia impacted. This move came as part of the company’s shift towards leveraging artificial intelligence for content moderation, however, it did not impact staff based in Singapore.

TikTok Singapore is a non-unionised company, but some of its employees are members of the NTUC-affiliated Tech Talent Assembly, which is reaching out to members to offer help if needed.

Vulcan Post has reached out to TikTok and NTUC for comments.

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