Google to Lay Off Around 12,000 Employees

Google revealed today that it is cutting around 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its global workforce, as the company responds to the current economic climate and rising inflation.

CEO Sundar Pichai announced the cuts in an email to staff which was also disclosed in a blog post. The head of the company explained Google had conducted a thorough review of its products, people, and priorities, resulting in job cuts across different regions and tech sectors, and acknowledged that while the company had experienced growth during more favorable economic conditions, it now faces "a different economic reality."

Pichai noted that the layoffs marked a moment for the company to "sharpen [its] focus, reengineer [its] cost base, and direct [its] talent and capital to [its] highest priorities." He emphasized that artificial intelligence would be a key area going forward.

The layoffs are global and will impact US staff immediately, while the process will take longer in other countries due to local employment laws and practices.

"The fact that these changes will impact the lives of Googlers weighs heavily on me, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us here," Pichai wrote. "I am confident about the huge opportunity in front of us thanks to the strength of our mission, the value of our products and services, and our early investments in AI. To fully capture it, we’ll need to make tough choices."

The current economic climate has put pressure on companies to make significant cuts to their workforce. Amazon recently announced a round of job cuts that will affect over 18,000 people, while Meta revealed it would be cutting 11,000 jobs. Most recently, Microsoft announced that it plans to lay off 10,000 workers.

You can find Google's announcement here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform, our Reddit page, and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.