More layoffs at Barbie HQ

Barbie’s house just shrank. Toymaker Mattel is chopping 89 marketing and design jobs at its El Segundo headquarters, starting January 12, 2026, as it carves up its global brands team into a new “brand-centric” structure that’s supposed to save $200 million by 2026. This round is on top of the 120 shed last March. The toymaker says it’s about strategy and efficiency; for the staff laid off, it’s just another round of corporate make-believe where the brands live on and the people get boxed up and sent home.

Pat Maio, OC Register

Mattel laying off 89 workers in brand restructuring