Anheuser-Busch said it will lay off corporate staffers in a move to "simplify and reduce layers within its organization. The move follows significant declines in the sales of Bud Lig ht, the former No. 1 selling U.S. beer.  A-B said the layoffs won't include frontline staff such as "brewery and warehouse staff, drivers, and field sales, among others."

"Less than 2%" of A-B's more than 19,000 U.S. employees will be affected, the company said. "We want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success."

Bud Light had seen its sales slipping when the Dylan Mulvaney controversy erupted after the transgender influencer posted an Instagram photo of a custom Bud Light can the brewer had sent her.  That set off a flurry of anti-trans protests, followed by criticism for LGBTQ+ advocates criticized A-B's response.