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Google has confirmed the elimination of "a few hundred" roles in its core engineering and Google Assistant teams, indicating a widespread impact of its post-pandemic adjustments. This move from Alphabet, Inc (GOOGL) comes in addition to the previously reported layoffs in the Google Hardware team, responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit products. In total, the layoffs have affected around a thousand employees, based on Google's statement and reasonable interpretations of the term "a few."
Earlier reports by 9to5Google and Semafor detailed layoffs in Google’s hardware division, but the recent confirmation extends the impact to the company's core engineering and assistant teams. The New York Times also covered the engineering team layoffs. Despite repeated inquiries, Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini did not confirm if these layoffs represent the total number in this round of job reductions. Mencini's communication ceased after confirming the existing reports, leaving open the possibility of further undisclosed layoffs.
In discussions about the hardware division layoffs, Mencini mentioned that several teams at Google are undergoing organizational changes to enhance efficiency. These changes include role eliminations globally, hinting at a strategic reshaping within the company. The lack of specificity in these statements suggests that Google might be managing the release of information regarding its internal restructuring.
As of September 30th, 2023, Alphabet, Google's parent company, had 182,381 employees. The current layoffs, estimated to be around a thousand, represent approximately half a percent of the total workforce. This scale of layoffs reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, which has seen numerous job cuts in recent times. The strategy behind these layoffs and the potential for further cuts remains a subject of speculation and concern within the tech community.