Starbucks is laying off 612 Seattle-based employees, part of a wave of corporate layoffs sweeping through the company.

The company announced the layoffs earlier this week in an effort to "operate more efficiently," according to its CEO.

SEATTLE, Wash. — Starbucks is laying off 612 employees from its Seattle headquarters, according to a notice filed with Washington’s Employment Security Department. The announcement is part of a larger, companywide cut.

New CEO Brian Niccol has been tasked with turning around the coffee giant's disappointing financial performance.

Hundreds of Starbucks employees in the Seattle area will lose their jobs as the company's CEO tries to streamline company operations.Chairman and CEO Brian Nicc

Layoffs at Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks will impact 612 workers in Washington according to a new filing from the state’s Employment Security Department on Thursday. The number represents more than half of the 1,100 corporate positions that Starbucks announced it was cutting in a notice to employees this week.

The impact of Starbucks’ latest layoffs on its home state is coming into focus. Starbucks confirmed 612 employees in Washington were laid off this week. James Bowen is one of them. He and his wife, who also works for Starbucks, were traveling when they discovered their jobs may be on the line.