Home rental firm Airbnb has cut 30 per cent of its job this week, a Bloomberg report said. 

According to a company spokesperson, the exercise has affected 0.4 per cent of the company's total workforce of 6,800.  "We've become a leaner and more focused company over the last three years. The company expects to grow its headcount this year," he said.

He admitted that the company embarked on a "difficult journey to reorganize and reduce the size of our recruiting team to reflect our hiring projections." Airbnb, which reportedly plans to expand its overall headcount this year, allayed fears of more layoffs. Last year, the firm posted 11 per cent staff growth. This year, the range is 2 per cent to 4 per cent, the firm said. 

Many of its rivals have reduced their growth projections due to increased borrowing rates and a slowdown in the entire industry. It posted its first annual profit last month, with revenue surging in the final three months of 2022 as travel bookings rebounded. 

The pandemic period saw Airbnb slashing 25 per cent of its workforce or about 1,900 employees. CEO Brian Chesky had said in a blog post then that "global travel came to a standstill" as the Covid-19-induced crisis unfolded.