Target Notifies Employees of Layoffs and Reveals Who Was Selected

Target confirms 1,000 layoffs

Impacts mainly Minneapolis headquarters

Restructuring follows CEO’s resignation

According to Fox5, Target corporate employees learned on Tuesday whether they were among the approximately 1,000 people affected by the layoffs announced a week earlier.

The retail giant also confirmed the elimination of 800 open positions as part of a restructuring plan focused, according to the company’s statement, on “optimizing operations and accelerating growth” rather than purely cutting costs.

However, the move has created unease among Target’s workforce — particularly at its Minneapolis headquarters, where most of the layoffs are concentrated.

The company asked employees to work from home the previous week to avoid leaks and to allow affected workers to receive notifications privately.

Target Corporate Layoffs 2025 Will Not Affect Store Workers

Target sent layoff notices to 1,000 corporate employees on Tuesday. https://t.co/4YSHUjB17R

— Juan Real Street (@eris_28) October 28, 2025

A Target spokesperson confirmed to the Associated Press (AP) that the cuts represent about 8% of the company’s global corporate workforce.

The layoffs focus exclusively on corporate offices, while store employees will not be affected by this restructuring.

Minnesota’s Rapid Response Team received at least two official notifications detailing the scale of the reductions.

According to reports, 815 employees will permanently lose their jobs — 528 from Target’s Minneapolis headquarters and 287 from the Brooklyn Park North Campus.

Compensation and Support for Laid-Off Employees

Target Notifies Employees of Layoffs and Reveals Who Was Selected – PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Target announced that employees losing their jobs will continue to receive salary and benefits through January 3, along with severance packages and job placement assistance.

In a statement, the company said the decision was “difficult but necessary to align our organizational structure with future strategic plans.”

The process will unfold gradually through the end of the year, and eliminated positions are not expected to be replaced in the short term.

Some employees voiced frustration on social media, describing the handling of the layoffs as “cold” and “inhumane.”

Target’s Largest Layoff Since 2015

Corporate layoffs 2025 mark a historic restructuring – PHOTO: Shutterstock

This marks Target’s first major round of layoffs in a decade.

In 2015, the company cut about 1,700 corporate jobs, roughly 13% of its office workforce, following the closure of its Canadian operations as part of a cost-cutting and restructuring effort.

This time, Target insists the layoffs are not aimed at immediate cost reduction, but rather at “redefining roles, eliminating redundancies, and improving operational agility.”

Brian Cornell Steps Down Amid Corporate Crisis

The layoffs come just two months after CEO Brian Cornell announced his resignation.

Cornell, who led Target for nearly a decade, will step down in 2026, to be succeeded by the current Chief Operating Officer.

In his farewell letter, Cornell cited declining sales, falling stock prices, and internal criticism following the reversal of the company’s diversity and inclusion (DEI) policies as reasons for his departure.

His exit marks the end of an era in which Target invested heavily in digital expansion and repositioning itself against Amazon and Walmart.

Restructuring and Financial Challenges Ahead

The company’s economic outlook suggests a period of contraction.

According to its latest quarterly earnings report, comparable sales fell 1.9% while net income dropped 21% compared to the previous year.

Market analysts warn that Target’s financial performance has been hurt by inflation, changing consumer behavior, and competition from e-commerce.

The restructuring comes as Target seeks to restore profitability and stabilize growth heading into 2026.