Iconic brands cutting thousands of positions worldwide, as tariffs, tech shifts and waning demand force painful 'reductions in force'
Harley‑Davidson has confirmed it will cut employees around the world as part of a fresh push to restore profitability under new CEO Artie Starrs.
Employees were told a “reduction in force” was planned, according to a company spokesperson quoted by Milwaukee ABC affiliate WISN, The U.S. Sun reported. The manufacturer did not disclose how many jobs will be eliminated or where the cuts will fall, including at its facilities in Wisconsin.
Since Starrs took over in October, the “embattled manufacturer” has made “major moves to get itself in better standing,” including C‑suite shakeups and “a shift in product focus away from what the brand has historically prioritized,” Joseph Brogan wrote in The U.S. Sun.
The layoffs follow a steep slump in sales and mounting costs. Harley‑Davidson saw a 12-per-cent decrease in global bike sales and a US$67‑million hit from tariffs alone in 2025, according to the same report.
The financial strain is being felt well beyond head office. Roughly a dozen U.S. dealerships closed in 2025, and that trend is “continuing into 2026 with no signs of slowing down,” Brogan reported. Some dealerships have shut their doors for good, while others have been sold or consolidated into single locations.
Epic Games cuts jobs after Fortnite slowdown
In the video‑game sector, Epic Games is preparing to lay off more than 1,000 employees after a drop in engagement on its blockbuster title Fortnite, according to a company memo obtained by Thomson Reuters and reported by CBC News.
“We’re spending significantly more than we’re making, and we have to make major cuts to keep the company funded,” CEO Tim Sweeney told staff in a note on Tuesday.
Epic expects to save US$500 million by trimming contractors, marketing spending and open roles, Sweeney said. The company also “recently raised prices for Fortnite’s in‑game currency, citing higher costs,” CBC News reported.
Even industry leaders are now feeling the pinch. “We’ve had challenges delivering consistent Fortnite magic,” Sweeney acknowledged, adding that “market conditions today are the most extreme” since the company was founded in 1991, according to Thomson Reuters via CBC.
Sweeney stressed that “the layoffs aren’t related to AI,” addressing concerns that generative tools could replace developers.
This is Epic’s second major restructuring in three years. The company cut about 830 jobs — roughly 16 per cent of its workforce — in September 2023 in an earlier bid to “boost profitability,” CBC reported. It was not immediately clear what proportion of staff will be affected in the latest round.
The wider industry is also under strain. CBC noted that Electronic Arts “laid off hundreds of workers and canceled a Titanfall game,” while job cuts at Amazon “also affected its gaming division.” Rising memory‑chip prices, driven by AI data‑centre demand, are “forcing console makers to raise prices,” further pressuring game makers.
Algoma Steel layoffs take effect
In Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., one of the largest mass layoffs in the city’s history is now reality, as Algoma Steel accelerates its transition from coal‑fired blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces.
“Hundreds of employees with Algoma Steel have worked their final shift at the plant,” CBC News reporter Alex Flood wrote, as the company phases out coke‑fueled operations it has relied on for 125 years.
The change is central to Algoma’s climate strategy: its new electric arc furnaces are “expected to reduce carbon emissions by up to 70 per cent,” according to the company’s comments to CBC. But it comes with a heavy human cost. In December, Algoma announced that 1,000 workers would lose their jobs, a decision the company linked to U.S. tariffs that “put pressure on the company to speed up” its billion‑dollar electric transition.
Algoma spokesperson Laura Devoni said in a statement that layoffs are happening in stages. “We recognize the impact of these reductions on our employees, their families, and the Sault Ste. Marie community,” she wrote, adding the company is “committed to working closely with union leadership, government partners, and community agencies to provide transition assistance,” according to CBC.
The federal government has expressed hope that up to 500 laid‑off Algoma workers could be rehired by year‑end, depending in part on whether South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean secures a multibillion‑dollar Canadian submarine contract and follows through on a pledge to invest $275 million in a structural‑steel beam mill at Algoma, CBC reported.
“Creating 1,000 new jobs to make up for what’s been lost is going to be a significant challenge,” said Colin Mang, a Canadian steel‑industry expert and economics professor at McMaster University. He warned that any new positions tied to the submarine project “wouldn’t come immediately,” and that the next “six to 12 months will be a challenging window” for displaced workers, according to CBC.
At the same time, a proposed $200‑million port development in Sault Ste. Marie could create as many as 2,500 jobs within five years, potentially benefiting industries including “steel, forestry and agriculture,” Mang said.
