The “relentless onslaught of change” is being blamed as Mozilla makes its second sweeping job cull of the year.

The jobs impacted are from within the Mozilla Foundation, which the nonprofit arm of the Firefox browser creator and is reported to have around 120 employees.

However, 30% of these are now facing redundancy as the foundation has admitted that it needs to make yet more cuts.

Job Losses at Mozilla

Staff were notified of the planned cuts in an email from the Mozilla Foundation’s executive director, Nabiha Syed. She explained that the two divisions that are being disbanded are the advocacy and global programs.

“Our mission at Mozilla is more high-stakes than ever,” she wrote and TechCrunch shared. “We find ourselves in a relentless onslaught of change in the technology (and broader) world, and the idea of putting people before profit feels increasingly radical.”

“Navigating this topsy-turvy, distracting time requires laser focus — and sometimes saying goodbye to the excellent work that has gotten us this far because it won’t get us to the next peak. Lofty goals demand hard choices,” Syed continued.

Layoffs Confirmed

TechCrunch reached out to Mozilla to confirm the job cuts and received a response from Mozilla Foundation’s communications chief Brandon Borrman.

His statement read: “The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable technical future for us all. That unfortunately means ending some of the work we have historically pursued and eliminating associated roles to bring more focus going forward.”

Second Round of Job Losses for 2024

In February, Mozilla announced that it was laying off 60 workers as interim CEO Laura Chambers settled in her new role.

The cuts saw the closure of Mozilla’s 3D virtual world Hubs and reduced investment in its social media improvement project, mozilla.social; VPN, Relay, and Online Footprint Scrubber.

The company also announced a renewed focus on bringing “trustworthy” AI capabilities into Firefox and rejigged some teams to make this happen. Its latest launch is an MVP called Lumigator 2, which is designed to “help developers confidently select the best LLM for their specific project”.

Mozilla is openly hoping to be a go-to resource for companies as they negotiate how to use AI. These drastic cuts show exactly how focused the company is in maintaining its place at the table as AI uptake surges.

2024 has been a brutal year for lay offs in the tech industry, and with 2025 in sight, shows no sign of slowing down.

There are many different things to consider when it comes to getting your business off the ground. Naturally, reaching out to new customers with advertising, marketing campaigns, and promotional events will drum up business, and should naturally be treated as a priority if you want to grow quickly.

However, once you’re up and running, retaining existing customers is arguably more key to the stability and longevity of your business. They spend more money than first-timers and are much more likely to tell their friends about your establishment. In other words, they’re your most valuable visitors, so building long-lasting relationships with them is incredibly important.

Establishing a network of regulars is easier said than done, though, which is why getting started with a tried-and-tested customer loyalty program can be a good jumping-off point. So, what’s the secret to a high-performing customer loyalty program? We reveal all.

Start with Strategy

We get it. You’re excited about the prospect of getting set up with a loyalty program to start raking in all that extra income from return customers. After all, some studies show that just a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to up to 75% increase in revenue, so your enthusiasm for your customer loyalty program is far from misplaced.

It’s important to remember, though, that having a comprehensive and informed strategy for your loyalty program is going to be a deciding factor in how successful it is.

For starters, there are some basic decisions you need to make before you can even get started, such as what kind of type of loyalty program you want to set up. Points and tiers are the most common, giving customers access to deals and perks based on how much they spend at your business. There’s also VIP programs that require an upfront fee to get access to those kinds of benefits, although that can be a bit less popular given the added cost.

You’ll also want to be sure you’ve clearly established your target customers for the loyalty program. Many programs allow for a lot of customizability, so if you have a clear, data-driven picture of your customers, you’ll be able to hone the experience to their needs more effectively.

Collect Data

Once your customer loyalty program is up and running, you’re going to be getting a lot of helpful data about your customers.

So, how do you get your hands on all that data? Depending on the system you get set up with, you’ll typically get access to reporting tools that can show you how often your customers make purchases, what kind of deals they take advantage of, and when they are most likely to buy.

You may also be able to obtain insights from customers by asking if they’d like to be on your mailing list for the latest offers and discounts.

The question is, what do you do with all this new data? Identifying a target audience for your customer loyalty program isn’t a one-and-done suggestion. We’d highly recommend using all that data to learn more about your customers and, more specifically, how they interact with your business. Then, you can tailor the experience to their needs, helping increase your revenue and their satisfaction in the process.

For example, if you’re a restaurant and your sales data shows you that two of your side dishes are way more popular than the rest, then selecting them as a reward in your customer loyalty program would be a shrewd decision. This is just one example of the kind of data-driven decision you can make with the reporting tools included in most major point-of-sale systems.

If you want to make your marketing effort as targeted as possible, check out our guide to customer segmentation.

Use the Right Technology

In the modern era, there’s always a piece of technology that can manage the more difficult aspects of running a business. From accounting software to CRM platforms, there are no shortage of digital resources that can help organize, streamline, and automate business operations. Rest assured, that’s no different for customer loyalty programs.

For online businesses, there are plenty of software options out there that can help you establish a good system for rewarding and attracting repeat customers. However, if you’re a brick-and-mortar restaurant or retail location, it’ll be a bit easier to use a POS system that has built in rewards and loyalty functionality, as your customers will be engaging with that more often than anything else.

If this kind of functionality is what you’re looking for, we’d recommend checking out the SumUp POS, an all-in-one tool that includes automated rewards and marketing program functionality built in, so you don’t need to find any third-party integrations to offer this perk to your potential return customers.

Perhaps more importantly, the rewards and loyalty functionality is an included feature in the SumUp POS device, which means that you won’t have to pay extra to attract repeat customers. Considering SumUp is already less expensive than competitors when it comes to the software, this can lead to some serious savings if you’re in need of a high performing customer loyalty program.

There are things that go bump in the night…

“Ghost jobs” are haunting jobseekers up and down the country – and no, we’re not talking about exorcising demons.

According to a recent survey, 40% of companies posted fake job listings in 2024, with a further 30% currently advertising roles that don’t exist. You could be wasting hours trying to create the perfect resume for a role that isn’t real. Which begs the obvious question – why are companies doing it?

In this article, I’ll be getting to grips with what ghost jobs are, why companies post them, and how to avoid wasting precious hours on applying to them. Read on, if you dare!

What Is a Ghost Job?

Like the name suggests, a “ghost job” is a job that a company advertises that doesn’t actually exist. Where once they might only have existed between the pages of a Stephen King novel, ghost jobs are on the rise, with a Resume Builder survey revealing that as many as 40% of companies have posted a ghost listing this year.

This is backed up by research from Resume Genius, which finds that 32% of surveyed respondents are “frustrated” with ghost jobs. Gen X, in particular, regard this trend as their top job search frustration. Says Geoffrey Scott, senior content manager at Resume Genius: “Ghost jobs are actually not scams. They’re from real companies, but they are openings that don’t actually exist.”

The tech industry, which has experienced its fair share of shocks and scares in recent years, is a full-on ghost town, with dozens of fake job listings plaguing the likes of Indeed and LinkedIn. To make matters worse, recruiters are in on the act too, with 81% of them confessing to posting positions for fake or filled roles this year.

Why Do Companies Post Ghost Jobs?

There are a few reasons why a company might decide to post a fake listing. First and foremost, hiring managers believe that an abundance of listings, fake or otherwise, reflects well on the company and public perception of its health. Simply put, hiring generally means company growth.

Businesses might also practice this witchcraft to “boost morale.” To the overworked staffer, the job listings page is like the oasis in the desert – salvation. Meanwhile, on the flipside of that particular coin, it also gives workers extra incentive to perform their job to a high level. After all, their position might be under threat.

Finally, businesses might choose to list ghost jobs in order to harvest as many resumes as possible. With this, they have the means to pull a – crucially, vetted – candidate off the pile at short notice, in case of an unexpected event.

How Do I Avoid Falling for a Ghost Job?

So, how do you separate fact from fiction? Time for a bit of amateur sleuthing.

When it comes to spotting ghost listings, there are a number of red flags to look out for. To begin with, look out for the listing date. If there isn’t one, or if it’s been online for months, that’s probably a bad sign – the company might be keeping it online to gather as many resumes as possible, rather than actually attempting to find the right candidate.

Next up, you should cross-examine the job listing with the “careers” page on the company in question’s website. Shock, horror – if it’s not on their actual website, that’s probably because it’s fake.

You should also be mindful of the sheer number of vacancies that a company is sharing. If there are several identical listings, with identical locations, that could be a sign that everything isn’t what it seems. Similarly, companies will sometimes recycle the same listings periodically to give the illusion of a new role opening up.

Another thing to keep an eye on is detail. A genuine job listing will outline roles and responsibilities, as well as qualifications and relevant experience that the company is looking for. A fake one will be a lot vaguer and might even prioritize highlighting the perks of the company at the expense of any actual information about the job. This extends to the salary. If a listing has a ridiculously wide salary range, it was probably created independently of a hiring manager and, thus, is not a real listing.

Heed My Warning

If you’ve got one eye on your next move, and your preference would be a remote-friendly role, we maintain up-to-date lists of the hottest remote jobs from across the tech sector, featuring the likes of Apple, Google, and more.

Just remember to keep an eye out for the warning signs – nobody wants a fright!

In a bold move to revive Tidal’s relevance in the music streaming industry, Jack Dorsey has initiated another round of major layoffs, urging the platform to “get back to basics” and operate more like a startup.

Despite aspirations to stand out in the crowded streaming market, Tidal has struggled to secure a foothold against dominant players, raising concerns about its future viability.

Will Tidal be able to get the momentum it needs to stay alive? If Dorsey’s plan works, it may have a shot. Here’s how.

Tidal Eliminating Certain Roles

News of more cuts is not a huge surprise, as the Dorsey warned staffers back in July that reorganization was coming, though specifics were not forthcoming at the time.

The decisive tech executive, who resigned from Twitter in 2021, outlined a vision that involved reducing non-core functions, particularly within product management and product marketing.

In the correspondence, Dorsey reportedly said that Tidal needed to act “like a startup again” with a smaller team in order to stay in the game.

“So we’re going to part ways with a number of folks on our team. We’re going to lead with engineering and design and remove the product management and product marketing functions entirely. We’re reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting Tidal, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarity around leadership going forward.” – Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block

One Fourth of Employees Get the Ax

Though no firm numbers have been specified, estimates put the number of layoffs at around a hundred, roughly 25% of Tidal’s 400-person team. This comes on the heels of another workforce reduction in December 2023, where 10% of the staff was let go, and is leaving some worried for the future of the platform.

“We have made some internal changes to our Tidal team to focus on serving artists in the most meaningful way. This involved the elimination of some roles across our business and design teams. We are going to be smaller, focus on fewer things, and move with a relentless approach to product development.” – Tidal in a statement

Currently, Tidal has only about 0.5% of the US streaming market share and is dwarfed by Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon, which hold 32%, 30%, and 24%, respectively. Tidal’s modest 700,000 subscribers starkly contrast with the millions claimed by its larger competitors.

A Complicated History

Launched in 2014 by Norwegian-Swedish company Aspiro, Tidal sought to differentiate itself by offering artist ownership. In 2015, it was relaunched after acquisition by Jay-Z’s Project Panther Bidco, then gained Sprint Corporation as a 33% stakeholder in 2017. When Block, then known as Square, acquired majority ownership in 2021, Jay-Z joined Tidal’s board.

Tidal supporters cite its high-quality audio and artist-friendly royalty model, though others argue its premium price, lack of podcasts, and less refined playlists have hindered its growth. Consequently, Tidal has attracted dedicated audiophiles but struggles to appeal broadly to casual listeners.

This leaner approach may be Tidal’s best chance to stay relevant, and Dorsey’s restructuring could make or break the platform’s future in a fiercely competitive market.

Dropbox, the San Francisco-based file hosting service that allows customers to collaborate and share documents, files and folders, will be laying of 20% of its workforce in what CEO Drew Houston is calling a “transitional period” for the company.

This latest round of cuts, following 500 layoffs last year, reflects Dropbox’s shift toward AI technology investment, lower-than-expected growth, a data breach back in April and increasing market share loss.

Here’s what’s next for the company and its outlook for the future.

Dropbox CEO Takes “Full Responsibility” for Layoffs

The staff were informed of the changes in a letter from Houston, where he says, “I take full responsibility for this decision and the circumstances that led to it, and I’m truly sorry to those impacted by this change.”

The parting gifts for those laid off will be in the form of a severance package that includes 16 weeks of pay, bonus payments, job placement assistance, compensation for approved time off, six months of health insurance and retention of company devices, such as tablets, phones and laptops for personal use.

According to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Dropbox projects $63 to $68 million in expenses for layoffs, primarily allocated to severance and benefits. This financial impact will largely be felt in Q4 2024, with remaining payments extending into H1 2025.

Dropbox Market Share Decline

Dropbox has seen its market share decline as competitors such as Google Drive and Box become increasingly popular. The company, which boasts 18 million users, is said to have only attracted 63,000 new customers in the latest fiscal quarter, and revenue growth was virtually non-existent, only in the low single digits.

“As we’ve shared over the last year, we’re in a transitional period as a company,” said the CEO. “However, navigating this transition while maintaining our current structure and investment levels is no longer sustainable.”

The reality of this becomes clear when looking at the numbers. Q2 of 2024, Dropbox experienced its slowest-ever growth period, with a year-on-year increase of just 1.9%, and just $634.5 million in revenue. By August, the company’s shares had lost 20% of their year-to-date value.

Dropbox is in Good Company

Dropbox isn’t the only tech giant using job cuts to create a more streamlined organizational structure. Amazon announced a similar plan earlier this year, eliminating 16,000 positions, while Microsoft let go of approximately 10,000 employees and Facebook parent company, Meta, also reduced jobs by 10,000.

Moving forward, the Dropbox is hedging its bets on new technology, such as its AI-powered smart organization and search tool, Dropbox Dash, which has been launched recently.

Said Houston, “The steps we’re taking today are necessary to both strengthen our core product and accelerate the growth of our new products. We’ll share more about our 2025 strategy in the days ahead.”

The company has stated more details on the changes will be forthcoming as the week progresses.