Telia Layoffs 2026: 900 Positions Targeted as Tech Roles Move

Telia says the plan is working. More positions are targeted.

CEO Patrik Hofbauer describes the next step as being made from a “position of strength.” In its October 12 announcement, Telia says earlier operating changes have improved customer satisfaction and financial performance. Management now wants to push more responsibility into its country businesses and reduce organizational complexity. Hofbauer also acknowledges that the changes involve difficult decisions and will require support for employees.

For employees, that puts the proposed structure at the centre of the story. A company can need the service you help deliver while changing the team, budget or position that delivers it. Check where your work appears in the proposed organization.

Finland faces the largest proposed cut relative to its size.

Telia’s country table gives the following approximate reductions across all units. It counted about 14,100 positions on October 1, making the proposed total roughly 6.4% of that base. Resource consultants represent about 3% of both the position base and the proposed reductions.

Our calculations divide the proposed reductions by each country’s approximate October 1 position count. Finland’s share is about 2.6 times Sweden’s. These percentages compare the scale of the proposals, rather than an individual employee’s chance of dismissal. The group’s 14,100-position base also includes about 100 positions in other countries.

Finland’s local announcement describes consultations covering about 2,050 roles, with 355 potentially removed and 75 new roles created. Subtracting the proposed additions from the removals gives 280. Around 50 group roles would also transfer into Telia Finland. The consultation scope, net reduction and incoming transfers answer different questions.

In Norway, Telia Norge says the 150 includes earlier reductions, departures that are not replaced, consultant assignments ending and permanent employees. The 150 therefore includes more than newly proposed employee dismissals.

Telia Lietuva plans workforce reductions during December 2026, with around 85 employees expected to receive notices of proposed redundancy. It also plans 12 new roles, with existing employees given recruitment priority. Final redundancies depend partly on redeployment. The subsidiary’s employee count and the group’s 110-position country estimate cover different scopes. Telia gives no breakdown explaining the difference between the totals.

Your work could move while your team gets smaller.

The 220 proposed transfers are mainly from the common Technology organization into country units. Telia wants those units to make decisions faster and take more responsibility for customers and commercial execution.

An internal organizational transfer leaves several employment questions open. The group release gives no complete role map or individual terms covering location, duties, pay or reporting lines. Employees should ask what the transfer changes in their own case.

Finland shows how the two processes can happen together. Its company announcement says incoming responsibilities require changes to the local organization, while consultation considers removals and new roles. Receiving work from the group does not give every existing local position a place in the new structure.

Some technology work will stay central.

Telia says common Technology would retain expertise where shared scale brings benefits, including security and TV services. Group Functions would concentrate on strategy, targets, governance and follow-up.

The employee risk lies in the division of responsibilities. Where country teams take over decisions or delivery, shared teams need clarity about the work they will still own. Where a function remains central, the relevant detail is its approved staffing and responsibilities after the change.

Better results have not stopped the cut proposal.

There is evidence behind management’s account of improved performance. Telia’s second-quarter results showed comparable service revenue growth of 2.8% and adjusted EBITDA growth of 3.4%. Operating income rose to SEK 3.7 billion from SEK 3.4 billion. Free cash flow, however, fell to SEK 2.2 billion from SEK 2.3 billion in that quarter.

Telia Lietuva CEO Giedrė Kaminskaitė-Salters put the local argument directly: “We are performing well in Lithuania, but we can simplify how we work.” Her statement links greater country autonomy with greater accountability for results and costs.

Our assessment is that employees should follow staffing decisions alongside business results. Revenue growth can coexist with a decision to use fewer positions. Praise for the company’s progress gives employees little detail about the budget for their particular team.

The job deadline comes before the full cash benefit.

Telia targets SEK 1 billion in annual gross savings through position reductions and other operating-cost cuts. The target combines staffing savings with other operating savings.

1. October 22, 2026: Telia plans to explain more of the financial impact alongside its third-quarter results.
2. Fourth quarter of 2026: approximately SEK 600 million in expected restructuring charges.
3. December 31, 2026: proposed completion of the organizational changes and position reductions, subject to negotiations.
4. 2027: most of the restructuring charges’ cash-flow effect is expected.
5. From 2028: Telia expects the full ongoing free-cash-flow benefit of the proposals.

Ask who will fund your role after the reorganization.

Use these questions when management presents the structure for your team. The situations below are things to examine in a proposal, rather than a list of changes confirmed for every Telia department.

Ask when the proposed role list will be available and when representatives expect answers. Telia Finland estimates six weeks of consultation. Keep the proposal, consultation outcome and individual offer or notice separate as the process develops.

Prepare a current résumé and a short record of the services, systems or projects you support, using information you are entitled to keep. The layoff preparation guide covers practical steps while you are still employed. Your local representative can help you establish which consultation and employment terms apply.

Three free products to help you prepare.

The Job Threat Check helps you review changes around your company, team and role in about two minutes. You receive a workplace pressure assessment and practical next steps, with no email required to see the result.

The Weekly Layoff Intelligence Report brings company developments, source links and their possible employee implications into a free weekly email. The Layoff Tracker + Corporate Stress Index lets you compare public pressure across its 50 technology and banking employers when researching your options.

These products help you organize visible information. They cannot see private staffing plans or determine the outcome of your consultation.

Sources and reporting standards

Reporting checked on October 12, 2026. The country details come from Telia’s own announcements. Finnish and Norwegian statements are paraphrased in English. The questions and employee implications are our analysis; the local releases remain the source for each proposed process.

1. Telia Company: October 12 group proposal — Group and country position estimates, transfers, retained functions, costs and timetable.
2. Telia Finland: consultation announcement via STT — Consultation scope, removals, new roles, incoming transfers and expected duration.
3. Telia Norge: company announcement via NTB — What the Norwegian 150-position total includes.
4. Telia Lietuva: issuer announcement — Proposed employee notices, recruitment priority, redeployment and union consultation.
5. Telia Company: January to June 2026 results — Second-quarter service revenue, earnings and cash-flow comparisons.
6. Article evidence ledger — Dated claims, source links, calculations and limits.
7. The Grind Hotline: editorial standards — Sourcing, corrections and the distinction between reporting and analysis.

Important Disclaimer

This article provides general information and analysis. Individual outcomes and employment terms depend on local consultation, your employer and your contract.