Google Gears Down: Hundreds Laid Off from Platform and Devices Division
Google, under its parent company Alphabet, has reportedly laid off hundreds of employees from its Platform and Devices division, which oversees operations related to Android, Pixel phones, and the Chrome browser. The news was first reported by U.S.-based media outlet The Information, and later cited by Reuters.
According to the report, this move follows an earlier offer of voluntary retirement made to employees in the same division in January this year.
A Google spokesperson told The Information, “Following last year’s consolidation of our Platforms and Devices teams, we’re focused on operating more efficiently. As part of this, we’ve made changes that include some role eliminations and voluntary separation offers.”
When Reuters reached out for comment, Google did not respond immediately.
This development comes amid a broader trend in the tech industry, where major firms are cutting costs and redirecting investments toward artificial intelligence (AI) development and data center expansion. In January, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, laid off 5% of its “lowest-performing” staff and shifted its hiring focus to high-speed machine learning engineers. In September, Microsoft laid off 650 employees from its Xbox unit. Reports also indicate that Amazon and Apple have implemented staff reductions across various departments.
Earlier this year in February, Bloomberg reported that Google also executed limited layoffs in specific teams within its cloud division.
Previously, in January 2023, Alphabet had announced plans to cut approximately 12,000 jobs, representing around 6% of its global workforce.
