MySpace’s reported 30% workforce cut hit San Francisco hard today, as we’re told that every San Francisco-based MySpace employee has been laid off this afternoon. From our source:

San Francisco MySpace offices have just been obliterated. (Staff is) all just getting phone calls in silence and staring at each other, one by one. All fired. Even higher ups. One by one.


MySpace has been in SF for less than two years. At the time of launch, they were expecting to hire around 200 people to staff the office.
In a memo sent by new MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta today to announce the cuts, he says:

In the days ahead, I will visit a number of U.S. offices, starting tomorrow at HQ, MySpace Music, and El Segundo. On Thursday I look forward to seeing everyone in Seattle and San Francisco, and on Friday, I’ll be spending time with the team based in New York.

Given today’s news, it’s unclear who the “everyone” in San Francisco will be. If you know any more details, we’d love to hear them.

Image of SF MySpace office: Valleywag

the author

Eve Batey is the editor and publisher of the San Francisco Appeal. She used to be the San Francisco Chronicle's Deputy Managing Editor for Online, and started at the Chronicle as their blogging and interactive editor. Before that, she was a co-founding writer and the lead editor of SFist. She's been in the city since 1997, presently living in the Outer Sunset with her husband, cat, and dog. You can reach Eve at eve@sfappeal.com.

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