Meow Wolf announces more layoffs set to affect 75 employees
SANTA FE, N.M. — Meow Wolf announced a round of layoffs set to affect 75 employees, with around 60% of those impacted being based in New Mexico.
The company confirmed these moves in a news release issued Thursday. The company said laying off around 75 people represents 20% of their central workforce in non-exhibition operations. It is a part of what they describe as “a strategic restructuring.”
Kate Daley, the sales and marketing manager for Meow Wolf, confirmed to KOB 4 the company informed the impacted workers individually. Daley added the company offered employees a separation package with severance pay, extended health care coverage and access to career transition support and services.
“These changes were made with great care. We are mindful of their impact on our team and broader community,” Daley stated. “This moment represents both a difficult transition and an opportunity to refocus Meow Wolf’s future strategy. We are deeply grateful to all the individuals who are departing for their contributions to Meow Wolf. Their passion, creativity, and dedication have shaped the company’s growth and its standing as a leader in the immersive arts.”
According to the Meow Wolf Workers Collective, the company announced Dec. 2 “an open invitation for any employee to agree to voluntarily leave the company” and forthcoming layoffs.
The MWWC issued this statement in response to the then-planned move:
“To the Board of Directors, we ask that you hold Jose Tolosa and other leadership accountable for the decisions that have put Meow Wolf in our current precarious position. The workers at the bottom should not be the tool to “fix” decisions at the top. It is especially despicable at this time of year. Meow Wolf deserves better and our guests deserve better.”
The collective launched a petition the public can sign to express a vote of no confidence with Meow Wolf CEO Jose Tolosa. They are also calling on the board of directors to:
- Hold leadership accountable and reduce the number of executive-level positions
- Honor “all aspects of all union contracts and normalize relations with the union”
- Move away from the “contractor-focused model” and prioritize full-time employees’ needs, including “promoting from within and rolling out well-defined career ladders for all teams”
- Increase the number of staff on the floor to “prioritize guests’ safety”
In April, Meow Wolf laid off 165 workers across all of their locations, including the Santa Fe exhibit. CEO Jose Tolosa described the moves as a way to “right size the business.”