One Zero lays off 25 employees in latest AI-driven efficiency push
The bank says automation and generative AI are helping it accelerate processes and operate with a leaner structure, although it has not said that AI is directly replacing the departing employees. The cuts come as the bank targets profitability in 2027.
One Zero Bank is launching another efficiency drive, under which it will lay off approximately 25 employees, representing about 7% of its workforce of around 350. The bank will also leave approximately 10 additional positions unfilled, bringing its workforce to a level roughly 10% below its original staffing plan. The move comes as the digital bank expands its use of automation and artificial intelligence tools, while reporting business growth and improving financial results.
Notifications were sent to employees being laid off on Sunday morning. In a letter to staff, One Zero CEO Eyal Gafni described the decision as difficult, writing: "These are the employees who built ONE ZERO alongside us, invested in it, and played a significant role in our journey and our successes."
The cuts are not concentrated in any particular department. The bank said adjustments were being made "wherever technology helps us accelerate processes." In his letter, Gafni highlighted the transition from the bank's establishment phase to one requiring substantial growth without a corresponding increase in operating costs.
"These changes, combined with our clear ambition to be the best and fairest bank in the system, require us to remain a fast, agile, and efficient organization at all times, enabling us to continue growing without expanding our workforce or cost base," he wrote.
Gafni also pointed to advances in artificial intelligence as a way to simplify and accelerate processes. The bank has not said that the employees being laid off are being directly replaced by AI. Rather, it says that the expanded use of automation and generative AI tools allows it to operate with a leaner organizational structure.
This is the third round of layoffs at One Zero since the beginning of 2024. More than 30 employees were let go earlier that year, followed by another 23 in September. In total, the bank laid off more than 50 employees during 2024.
At the end of 2025, One Zero had 354 direct employees, broadly in line with its current workforce. Unlike the previous rounds of cuts, the latest move comes as the bank reports operational growth and continued improvement in its bottom line.
The decision is consistent with a strategy outlined in the bank's 2025 reports. One Zero said it intended to expand its use of automation and artificial intelligence to maintain high operational efficiency, with the aim of reducing operating costs and the manpower required to run the bank.
The push for greater efficiency is also reflected in payroll expenses. In 2025, salary and related costs fell by 8.8% to NIS 120 million, compared with NIS 131.7 million in 2024. The bank attributed the decline to "adjusting the workforce mix to current challenges and tightening budgetary discipline."
Meanwhile, One Zero's financial results continue to improve. In the first half of 2026, revenue rose by 33% to NIS 66 million, while operating expenses fell by 10% to NIS 149 million. The bank's net loss narrowed by 27% to NIS 84 million. Its customer base has also recently surpassed 200,000.
In 2025, One Zero recorded a loss of NIS 214 million, down from NIS 268 million in 2024 and NIS 357 million in 2023. The bank expects to become profitable in 2027. In August, Gafni said it was approaching its first profitable month, which he expected to arrive within a few months.
