Washington Post layoffs disproportionately affected union members of color, preliminary Guild data shows

When The Washington Post laid off more than a third of its employees on February 4, the paper’s foundation was shaken. The cuts were wide-ranging, shuttering the sports desk right before the Winter Olympics and letting go of foreign correspondents covering active wars.

Data released Friday by The Washington Post Guild shows that layoffs fell heavily on union members of color:

This shows the true scope of these layoffs — and it’s deeper than numbers on a page.

These numbers aren’t just statistics. They reflect careers, communities, and a profound shift in who gets to shape the journalism and mission of The Washington Post. pic.twitter.com/nMB3s2bayK

— Washington Post Guild (@PostGuild) February 13, 2026

I asked the Guild for the numbers behind these percentages. According to the Guild, 144 (37%) members who identify as white, 23 (50%) who identify as Hispanic or Latino, 44 (45%) who identify as Black, 33 (43%) who identify as Asian, and 14 (5%) who identify as multiracial were laid off. Twenty-two (8%) union members who were laid off didn’t disclose their races. (The Washington Post has a separate Tech Workers Guild, not included in these numbers.)

“The numbers tell a painful story. The impact on journalists of color is staggering and devastating,” the Post Guild said in its statement on Friday. “We cannot ignore what this means for equity, representation, and the future of this organization. Our newsroom and commercial departments are stronger when they reflect the communities we serve.”

The Guild had more than 700 members prior to February 4. More than 250 were sent layoff notices, but that number could eventually decrease since the Guild is still negotiating layoffs and severance packages with Post leadership.

The Washington Post did not respond to a request for comment.

We still don’t have an official number of how many people were laid off in total. Former Washington Post media reporter Paul Farhi reported this week that the company laid off somewhere between 350 and 375 journalists, cutting the size of the newsroom by nearly half. On Wednesday, Post executive editor Matt Murray said in a town hall that the Post now has around 400 journalists and a total staff of 1,300. That’s down from a reported 1,000 journalists and 2,500 staffers in total in 2022.

Last year, the Post released its workforce demographic data: That report also did not include a total staff number, but here was the makeup of all Post employees by race and ethnicity:

And of all news and opinion employees:

The Post Guild’s data is the latest example in the years-long unraveling of the news industry’s promises to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion after George Floyd’s killing and the ensuing “racial reckoning” of 2020.

In June 2020, the Post’s then-publisher, Fred Ryan, told staff the company would “build a stronger culture of diversity and equity.” That included hiring for a dozen new positions and establishing Krissah Thompson as manager of diversity and inclusion. Thompson stayed in the role for a year before becoming a general managing editor and eventually leaving the company last year. The original role no longer exists.

Last June, the Post put its “About US” newsletter (“Candid conversations about race and identity in 21st century America”) “on hiatus.” The newsletter’s author Rachel Hatzipanagos was laid off on February 4.

In 2021, the Post hired reporters Emmanuel Felton and Akilah Johnson to cover race and ethnicity. They were both laid off on February 4.

“This comes six months after hearing in a national meeting that race coverage drives subscriptions,” Felton tweeted. “This wasn’t a financial decision, it was an ideological one.”