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Lime pulls its scooters from a dozen cities

And lays off about 100 workers.

Rae Hodge Former senior editor
Rae Hodge was a senior editor at CNET. She led CNET's coverage of privacy and cybersecurity tools from July 2019 to January 2023. As a data-driven investigative journalist on the software and services team, she reviewed VPNs, password managers, antivirus software, anti-surveillance methods and ethics in tech. Prior to joining CNET in 2019, Rae spent nearly a decade covering politics and protests for the AP, NPR, the BBC and other local and international outlets.
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Lime has let a total of about 100 workers go in four US markets. 

 Stephen Shankland/CNET

E-scooter startup Lime is laying off about 100 of its workers, roughly 14% of its labor force, as it shuts down operations in 12 of its 120-plus markets, the company said in a blog post Thursday. Lime said the move is an attempt to achieve profitability in 2020. 

In the US, the markets are Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego and San Antonio. In Europe: Linz, Austria. In Latin America: Bogotá, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Lima, Peru; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. 

"Financial independence is our goal for 2020, and we are confident that Lime will be the first next-generation mobility company to reach profitability. We are immensely grateful for our team members, riders, Juicers and cities who supported us, and we hope to reintroduce Lime back into these communities when the time is right," said Lime co-founder and CEO Brad Bao in an email to CNET. "Juicers" are the people who recharge the batteries on the scooters.

The company said it was grateful to both the full-time and temporary employees it laid off.