WPP May Cut 1,000 More Jobs By Year End As New CEO Pushes AI Overhaul

British advertising giant WPP is planning to eliminate up to 1,000 additional jobs by the end of 2026 as chief executive Cindy Rose accelerates a restructuring programme aimed at simplifying the company, cutting costs and adapting its operations to an advertising industry increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

The planned cuts, reported by the Financial Times citing people familiar with the matter, would come on top of roughly 11,000 positions WPP has eliminated since the beginning of 2025.

WPP’s workforce stood at 97,388 employees as of June 30, according to the report.

The latest restructuring is part of the company’s broader turnaround strategy, which includes selling non-core businesses and reducing WPP’s property footprint.

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The company is also seeking to reorganise its creative operations and make greater use of AI-powered technology.

WPP Layoffs Add To Advertising Industry Job Cuts

The planned WPP layoffs come amid a contraction across the advertising industry.

According to the FT’s calculations, at least 18,000 jobs have been eliminated at agencies including WPP, Omnicom, Dentsu and IPG over the past 18 months.

The actual figure is likely higher because many companies do not publicly disclose individual workforce reductions.

AI is increasingly influencing how advertising companies approach their workforce and operating structures. However, the report noted that relatively few of the industry-wide job cuts have been directly attributed to AI.

Instead, advertising executives are redesigning organisations with AI capabilities in mind as the technology becomes capable of generating advertising content and campaign plans quickly and at scale.

The shift also comes as clients look for ways to reduce costs and, in some cases, bring more marketing functions in-house.

Omnicom cut around 4,000 jobs at the end of 2025 following its merger with IPG, while IPG had separately cut about 2,000 jobs globally from the start of 2025.

Dentsu has said it plans to eliminate about 3,400 jobs from its international operations as part of a turnaround programme and had cut around 3,000 roles by June 30, according to the report.

WPP To Sell Non-Core Businesses, Reduce Offices

The restructuring is not limited to employee reductions. WPP is also selling businesses and investments that Rose believes do not need to remain within the group.

The report mentioned that WPP is expected to sell non-core businesses as it works to simplify the London-listed company and improve margins.

WPP had forecast at least £200 million in asset sales this year. The company said in its first-half results that it had completed more than 15 non-core asset disposals during the period and expected to generate more than £200 million in proceeds in 2026.

WPP is also looking to reduce its property costs. The FT reported that three WPP buildings on the south side of London’s River Thames are likely to be consolidated into two locations.