In a move towards optimizing operations, Google has significantly reduced its workforce, affecting teams involved in hardware development, voice assistance, and engineering.
A tech layoff like this is familiar to the industry. According to the search engine firm, it is geared towards "responsible investment" in their priorities and significant opportunities ahead.
Recent Google Layoff Affects Multiple Teams
Acknowledging ongoing organizational changes, Google clarified that the workforce adjustments include role eliminations globally.
While emphasizing the need for responsible investments, the company acknowledged that specific teams would undergo structural shifts, per KRMG's report. The augmented reality hardware team is expected to bear the brunt of these changes.
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Cost-Cutting Measures and Previous Commitments
These workforce reductions follow the broader commitment made by Google and its parent company, Alphabet, to streamline operations and reduce costs.
Approximately a year ago, Google announced plans to lay off around 6% of its workforce, amounting to 12,000 employees. The recent cuts demonstrate the company's ongoing efforts to align its workforce with evolving business priorities.
At that time, many Google employees who previously worked for the company shared their "layoff stories" on TikTok.
Some felt sad upon being axed from their division where they worked, while others were relieved since they were also free from unfair labor practices done by the tech giant.
"Throughout the second-half of 2023, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, and to align their resources to their biggest product priorities. Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally," a Google spokesperson told Reuters.
Industry-Wide Trends of Job Cuts
Google's strategic realignment is not an isolated incident in the tech industry. Over the past year, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, implemented significant job cuts, surpassing 20,000 positions, as part of its efforts to reassure investors.
Similarly, Spotify initiated workforce reductions in December, constituting its third round of layoffs in 2023.
Amazon, another tech giant, recently laid off hundreds of employees in its Prime Video and studios units, along with additional cuts in its live streaming platform Twitch. This move follows Amazon's earlier announcements of substantial job reductions, with plans to lay off 9,000 employees in March and an additional 18,000 in January 2023.
Intense Industry Competition: Google vs. Microsoft
Amid these workforce adjustments, Google remains engaged in fierce competition with Microsoft regarding artificial intelligence (AI). Both companies are striving to assert dominance in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Microsoft, in particular, has bolstered its AI offerings, introducing features like Copilot and integrating artificial intelligence into products such as the Bing search engine, Edge browser, and Windows for corporate clients.
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