Advertising giant WPP cut 1,267 jobs over the first half of 2026 to drive profit recovery amid the growth of artificial intelligence. This reduction, affecting 1.3% of its workforce, left the company with 97,388 staff. Headcount has plunged by more than 6,000 over the past year as the group targets £500 million of annual savings by 2028.

Staff costs were reduced by 5.9% to £3.47 billion for the half-year. Despite these efforts, pre-tax profits were 7.7% lower at £277 million, while revenue less pass-through costs declined by 5.6% to £4.75 billion. The company reported significant revenue slumps from telecoms, media, entertainment, and financial services clients.

To boost performance, WPP is investing in AI via its Open Intelligence data service and expanding partnerships with Google, Meta, and AWS. CEO Cindy Rose stated that second-quarter improvements highlight the momentum building across the company. Following the update, shares surged by 23% in early trading.