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Google has confirmed plans to lay off hundreds of employees from various teams, including its virtual assistant, augmented reality, and central engineering divisions.
A spokesperson for the company revealed that the layoffs would affect hundreds of workers involved with Google Assistant, as well as those in other knowledge and information product teams. However, the exact number of affected employees was not disclosed.
The cuts extend to the Digital Services and Product Area, primarily impacting the first-party Augmented Reality Hardware team. Additionally, reductions will occur within the central engineering team. In a statement, the Google spokesperson emphasized the company’s focus on responsibly investing in top priorities and significant future opportunities. “To best position us for these opportunities, 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,” the spokesperson added, noting that these organizational changes include global role eliminations.
The Alphabet Workers Union expressed strong opposition to these latest layoffs in a post, criticizing the company for the job cuts despite its substantial quarterly earnings. The union vowed to continue fighting for job security.
These layoffs are part of a broader trend in the tech industry, mirroring recent cuts by other major companies. Amazon recently announced on Wednesday its intention to lay off hundreds of employees in its streaming and studio operations, as reported by Reuters. Additionally, according to Bloomberg, Twitch plans to reduce its workforce by about 35 percent, equating to around 500 workers.