US — The Verge
Squarespace is laying off 19 percent of employees
Software1 min read
Squarespace, the website-building company, is cutting 19 percent of its staff. About 300 of its 1,800 workers will lose their jobs as the company tries to simplify how it works.
What happened
Squarespace is laying off about 19 percent of its employees. A company spokesperson told The Verge that the goal is to "simplify" how the company runs. The company says the changes will help it move faster and focus on its next stage of growth.
Key numbers
- About 300 jobs will be cut.
- Squarespace had about 1,800 employees before the cuts.
- Laid-off workers will get 16 weeks of base pay.
- Their healthcare benefits will continue into May 2027.
Some background
Squarespace lets people build websites without needing to write code. In 2024, it launched Blueprint AI, a tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI, computer software that can learn patterns and create content) to build websites. It can also write website text, blog posts, and product descriptions. Around the same time, the private equity firm Permira finished buying the company.
Why it matters
Many people lose their jobs in this round of cuts, and it shows that even tech companies that invested heavily in AI are still changing how they are organized. For workers, it means less job security. For people who use Squarespace, the company says it wants to focus on its main priorities.
What to watch
- Whether Squarespace's new focus leads to new products or features.
- How the AI tools, like Blueprint AI, grow in the coming year.
- Whether more job cuts follow.
Glossary
- Squarespace
- A company that offers a platform where people can build and host their own websites.
- Blueprint AI
- Squarespace's tool that uses AI to build websites and write website text.
- Permira
- A private equity firm, which is an investment company that buys businesses, that bought Squarespace.
- AI
- Artificial intelligence, computer software that can learn patterns and create things like text and images.