SAN FRANCISCO, California: Uber Technologies plans to cut about 3,300 jobs, or 10 percent of its workforce, as it restructures its operations and prepares for growing competition from robotaxis.

The layoffs are the company's largest since the COVID-19 pandemic and will include reducing management layers added during a period of rapid growth but now slowing decision-making, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a note to employees.

"A leaner organization will mean clearer ownership, faster decisions, and more time spent building rather than coordinating. It will also generate savings that we intend to reinvest in growth, innovation, and the capabilities that will matter most over the coming years," Khosrowshahi said.

Unlike several technology executives, Khosrowshahi did not attribute the layoffs to artificial intelligence. The industry's push to adopt AI and the efficiencies it can provide have contributed to widespread job cuts this year. Layoffs.fyi has tracked more than 123,000 cuts across nearly 390 companies.

Uber shares rose nearly two percent on September 2. The stock has fallen nearly eight percent this year, underperforming the S&P 500 and rival Lyft amid concerns about increasing competition.

DoorDash, Instacart and local delivery platforms have been putting pressure on Uber Eats, prompting Uber to pursue deals including its US$14.8 billion acquisition of Delivery Hero to increase scale and compete more effectively.

Concerns have also emerged over reports of growing tensions between Uber and Waymo, the largest U.S. robotaxi operator. Waymo operates its vehicles through Uber's app in Austin and Atlanta but has also been expanding into new markets without Uber.

Other companies, including Tesla, are increasing their focus on robotaxis, raising concerns that growing numbers of driverless vehicles could erode Uber's role as an intermediary between vehicles and passengers.

Uber plans to invest more than $10 billion in robotaxis in the coming years, backing companies developing autonomous-driving systems and seeking to position itself as a marketplace for driverless rides.

"As AV tech and relationships grow and expand, there is a different type of employee needed to scale that business than one built around human drivers and all the cost to serve entailed with that, including management layers," said Adam Ballantyne, an analyst at Uber shareholder Cambiar Investors.

As part of the overhaul, Uber will reduce by 20 percent the number of employees seven or more reporting layers below the CEO and cut nearly in half the number of teams with only one or two direct reports. Some teams will be combined, and more staff will be concentrated around key hubs.

Fully remote positions will be limited to about one percent of the workforce, while Uber will retain its three-day office policy.

The layoffs, first reported by Bloomberg News, are Uber's largest since May 2020, when collapsing demand during the pandemic led it to cut 6,700 jobs, or nearly a quarter of its workforce.

Uber had about 34,000 employees globally at the end of last year.