Google Reveals Plans for Mass Job Layoffs
Google has this week made a significant announcement regarding workforce reductions across its Assistant, hardware, and engineering teams. The impact of these cutbacks is particularly notable for James Park and Eric Friedman, the co-founders of Fitbit, a fitness tracker company acquired by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, in 2021 for $2.1 billion.
According to the company, a substantial number of employees will be laid off in Google’s Voice Assistant unit, with additional job losses in the hardware team, which encompasses the Pixel, Next, and Fitbit brands. The central engineering team is also affected, with hundreds of roles being eliminated.
While the specific number of affected positions was not disclosed, a Google spokesperson informed Reuters, “Throughout the second half of 2023, several of our teams implemented changes to enhance efficiency, improve collaboration, and align resources with their key product priorities. Some teams are continuing to enact these organizational changes, which include global role eliminations.”
This announcement follows Alphabet’s decision a year ago to reduce its global workforce by 6%, resulting in approximately 12,000 job cuts. The ongoing adjustments reflect the company’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations and allocate resources strategically in response to evolving business priorities.
Duncan is a technology professional with over 20 years experience of working in various IT roles. He has a interest in cyber security, and has a wide range of other skills in radio, electronics and telecommunications.