Google is implementing significant layoffs within its unified Platforms and Devices division, affecting hundreds of employees. This decision aligns with the company’s broader strategy to streamline its workforce and enhance operational efficiency. It follows a voluntary exit program that was presented to employees just months earlier.
During the pandemic, like many tech companies, Google expanded its workforce in response to a rapid increase in demand across various sectors. However, the decline in consumer spending after the pandemic and the rise of artificial intelligence technologies have prompted the company to reassess its staffing needs. Earlier this year, Google offered a voluntary exit program specifically to US employees working on projects related to Android and Pixel, signaling a shift toward workforce reduction.
Recently, reports have emerged confirming that the company has laid off hundreds of employees from this unified division. In April 2024, Google undertook a comprehensive internal reorganization aimed at enhancing AI integration across its product ecosystem. This reorganization included merging the Android and Pixel teams into a single unit called Platforms and Devices, overseen by Rick Osterloh.
This division is responsible for a variety of popular products and services, including Pixel devices, Chrome, ChromeOS, and Google Photos. Thus, the announcement of voluntary exit options to employees in this division came as a shock, marking a shift from the previously unified approach. In a statement, a Google spokesperson confirmed the layoffs, emphasizing that the company has aimed to operate more effectively since the merger.
This trend of job cuts is not confined to one division; earlier layoffs in February saw around 200 positions eliminated from Google’s HR and cloud business sectors. The ongoing reductions correlate with Osterloh’s earlier statements about the voluntary exit program, which sought to address criticisms regarding the company’s handling of past layoffs.
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