Number of Zillow job cuts in Tampa grows — again

TAMPA — Zillow has again notified the state that the total number of people it is laying off in Tampa is growing. This time, the online real estate company notified state officials that three more people will lose their jobs, bringing the total number of layoffs in the city to 40.

This is third time that the Seattle-based company has added to its list of job cuts in Tampa as the company continues to wind down its home-buying program, Zillow Offers.

The new layoffs will bring to 40 the total number of people working at the company’s downtown office on Ashley Drive losing their jobs. In November, Zillow announced that 17 Tampa employees were being eliminated because of the company’s decision to do away with the offer program. Last month it added 19 people to the list. The most recent cuts were posted late Tuesday, March 22.

According to a letter sent to meet federally mandated Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act requirements, the first group of layoffs began Jan. 3. The second round will start April 18. One other person, listed separately from the two big layoffs but part of the Zillow Offers job cuts, was let go Jan. 3, according to the letter.

The most recent letter does not detail what positions are being eliminated or why the additional cuts were just announced now but says the layoffs will be effective May 10.

The Seattle-based company announced in an earnings statement in October that it was shutting down the service where it would buy homes and then resell them. Zillow Group co-Founder and CEO Rich Barton said at the time that the decision was made because they had "determined the unpredictability in forecasting home prices far exceeds what we anticipated and continuing to scale Zillow Offers would result in too much earnings and balance-sheet volatility.”

In all, about 25% of the company’s workforce was laid off because of the decision.

Zillow announced Feb. 10 that revenue for the fourth quarter was $3.9 billion and for the entire year $8.1 billion.

The company says on its website that it employs about 8,000 people.