YouTube announces ‘voluntary exit program’ for US staff

YouTube has announced a new “voluntary exit program” offering severance packages to U.S.-based employees, marking another restructuring move within the Google-owned video platform.

The program was revealed in an internal memo from CEO Neal Mohan on Wednesday and later confirmed to TechCrunch. According to Mohan, the initiative is part of a broader organisational reshuffle that will consolidate YouTube’s product divisions into three new teams, all reporting directly to him.

Three New Product Divisions

As part of the reorganisation, YouTube is splitting its product teams into:

• Subscription Products – Focused on subscription services like YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, and OTT offerings.
• Viewer Products – Responsible for the core viewing experience across YouTube’s main app, YouTube Kids, Learning, and Trust & Safety functions.
• Creator & Community Products – Dedicated to supporting creators and strengthening engagement across the YouTube community.

Mohan emphasised that no roles are being eliminated as a result of these changes, suggesting that the exit program is entirely optional.

A Shift During Record Earnings

The reorganisation follows Alphabet’s Q3 2025 earnings report, released the same day, which showed that YouTube’s ad revenue climbed to $10.26 billion, up 15% year-over-year.

The timing signals that YouTube’s restructuring may be less about cost-cutting and more about streamlining leadership and improving operational focus as the platform continues to expand its advertising, subscription, and creator monetisation strategies.

YouTube’s Next Chapter

Under Mohan’s leadership, YouTube has increasingly leaned into subscriptions and creator-driven growth, as the company seeks to balance its massive ad business with new recurring revenue streams.

While the voluntary exit program indicates YouTube’s willingness to evolve its structure, it also highlights a broader trend across Alphabet’s ecosystem — ongoing realignments to optimise team efficiency amid rapid growth in AI and premium content services.