Emails and sources: Google fired 16% of its ~400-person Fuchsia OS team, Research cut jobs in lower traction areas, and Cloud cut operational and other roles

The layoffs amount to about 6 percent of the global work force at the company, the latest tech giant to make cuts after a pandemic hiring spree.

New York Times 2023-01-22

Context & Ripple Effects

Google had already tightened workforce management by asking managers to classify about 6% of employees as low performers under a revised review system. These cuts translate that scrutiny into targeted reductions in Fuchsia, lower-traction Research work and Cloud operations.

Cloud had also undergone an earlier role-eliminating restructuring, while later reports of engineering and platforms-and-devices reductions show a recurring focus on narrowing Google’s staffing footprint across product and infrastructure groups.

First-order effects

Google’s Fuchsia OS team loses roughly one-sixth of its staff, while Research loses roles in areas Google considers lower traction.
Google Cloud eliminates operational and other positions, reducing headcount in functions supporting its cloud business.

Second-order effects

Google’s lower-traction designation becomes a concrete staffing filter following its expanded low-performer review process, putting greater pressure on research efforts to demonstrate organizational priority.
The Cloud restructuring extends an earlier pattern of role reductions, requiring remaining Cloud teams to absorb work previously handled by eliminated operational roles.

Third-order effects

Subsequent engineering-role eliminations and later platforms-and-devices cuts point to ongoing portfolio pruning rather than a one-off reduction across Google’s technical organizations.
If that pattern persists, Google’s internal resource allocation will increasingly favor a smaller set of product and research priorities over broad staffing across experimental and support functions.

The trend: Google is repeatedly concentrating technical headcount around selected priorities while reducing lower-traction research, operational work and peripheral product efforts.

Discussion

@rohitakadambi Rohita Kadambi on x
The “learn to code” crowd is so quiet rn https://www.nytimes.com/...
@nicoagrant Nico Grant on x
More details on what Google chose to pare back on inside: health care for clinicians, robotics, operational roles at Cloud, Fuchsia operating system engineers and others working in areas that have become less important as the company chases AI ambitions. https://www.nytimes.com/.…
@sladner@mastodon.social @sladner@mastodon.social on mastodon
All these tech layoffs makes me think we are a little like Andor, when he found out what happened to the Level 2 day shift
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org Lauren Weinstein on mastodon
The #Google layoffs are quite devastating. But on the bright side, at least Sundar said that if you're being fired you can work from home today.
@caseynewton@mastodon.social Casey Newton on mastodon
Hearing that Area 120, an incubator for ideas within Google, has been eliminated as part of today's layoffs
@Gartenberg@mastodon.social Michael Gartenberg on mastodon
At least Google, from all reports, is doing layoffs on the gentlest way possible (assuming there's a gentle way at all). Good severance packages, accelerated stock vesting, health care for six months and effectively 6 months of salary for most. …
@readdanwrite Daniel Roberts on x
Google NYC employees who arrived at the office early this morning stood in a line to test their badges— if light turned red, it meant you had been laid off. if green, you were safe. 👎
@gergelyorosz Gergely Orosz on x
We'll look back at this week as an inflection point when Big Tech lost its former attractiveness. It will be stories like Justin's, and the countless ones to be told, where many realize that, during layoffs, people become numbers, and 8% of those numbers need to be “marked.” http…
@google_comms @google_comms on x
Our CEO sent the following email to Google employees earlier today. https://blog.google/...
@alphabetworkers @alphabetworkers on x
While Alphabet leadership claims “full responsibility,” that is little comfort for the 12,000 workers who are now without jobs. This is unacceptable behavior for a company that made $17B in profits last quarter alone. https://blog.google/...
@theinformation @theinformation on x
Google laid off some employees who had received strong performance reviews. It largely spread cuts in its ‘Brain’ AI lab. https://thein.fo/jOtaDik
@benbajarin Ben Bajarin on x
Re: Tech Co layoffs: I don't think Apple will do a round of layoffs unless things get dramatically worse economically. Their hiring strategy/philosophy is quite different than other companies and organizationally they are different as well.
@amberkanwar Amber Kanwar on x
Tech companies that have announced major layoffs have outperformed $SHOP $META $AMZN $CRM $GOOGL https://twitter.com/...
@gergelyorosz Gergely Orosz on x
Out of all the major companies doing large layoffs, it was only Google where the news did not leak ahead of time to the press. Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Salesforce: lots of employees all learned about the day cuts could happen from the media, a few days ahead.
@robgiampietro Rob Giampietro on x
Today me and many of my talented colleagues from Google's Insight+Innovation team were let go. Grateful for the exciting ride.✌️ My heart goes out to all those affected. I'm still processing, but in every end is a new beginning. I'm looking forward to discovering what's next. htt…
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
Every tech CEO that's publicly complained about lazy employees and an inefficient workforce has done layoffs in the past year except for Sundar. In fact they grew at record numbers that quarter. Question is whether he'll blink now everyone else has cut? https://www.cnbc.com/...
@readdanwrite Daniel Roberts on x
there are Google people calling this “fake news” because layoff emails were sent around 7am. I didn't say otherwise. I described a scene that happened today: Googlers arrived at office and if they hadn't seen work email on their subway ride, surprise: badge red — can't come in. h…
@krystalball Krystal Ball on x
This type of dehumanizing treatment is standard for low wage workers. Here we see even white collar knowledge workers aren't exempt from degradation by the executive class. Horrible. https://twitter.com/...
@yuhline Yuh-Line Niou on x
This is truly not ok. Should be illegal. https://twitter.com/...
@richardjnieva Richard Nieva on x
Statement on Google layoffs from Parul Koul, executive chair of the Alphabet Workers Union. “With billions in profits and executive compensation untouched, our jobs should not be on the chopping block.” https://twitter.com/...
@daveyalba Davey Alba on x
Scoop w/ @mhbergen: Google has also restructured parts of its treasured AI division — it was not immune to Alphabet's 12,000 layoffs today https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@mikegcoleman Mike Coleman on x
My position at Google was just eliminated. So, I'm on the job market effective immediately. If you know of any roles in Tech Marketing, Developer Relations, or Product Management. RTs appreciated.
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
CEOs taking full responsibility for over-hiring after layoffs. [Gif of a man wiping his tears with money]
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
And then there were none. The only big tech that hasn't done layoffs is Apple but unlike others Tim Cook hasn't publicly complained about lazy and inefficient employees either. However with a global decline in smartphone sales and their China issues, it's still a possibility http…
@kvanaren Kathryn VanArendonk on x
company layoff practices should have a higher bar to clear than the same system used to detect zombie fungus in The Last of Us https://twitter.com/...
@barstoolnate Eric Nathan on x
Just a reminder for 99% of jobs, they don't care about you nearly as much as you care about them. Never turn down more money or a better opportunity elsewhere because you feel some obligation to your current job, they will lay you off without batting an eye. https://twitter.com/.…
@mediumsizemeech Meech on x
Sorry but this game show type hiring and firing????? Oh companies are TRASH https://twitter.com/...
@jezcorden Jez on x
2023 looking dark. https://twitter.com/...
@theferocity Saeed Jones on x
I... can't tell if he's joking or not. https://twitter.com/...
@martinsfp @martinsfp on x
American mass-layoffs are needlessly cold and brutal. https://twitter.com/...
@jenn_elias Jennifer Elias on x
Employees have been anxious this day would come as other tech co's announced their layoffs. Recent all-hands meeting questions frequently asked about the potential for layoffs and whether executives hired too much, too quickly. https://www.cnbc.com/...
@smydrad David Smydra on x
Thinking of my former @Google colleagues today and wishing everyone the best. If it helps, let me share a preview of the conversations you will probably have over the next few weeks, based on what my fellow ex-Tweeps and I just went through...
@dcwaladesi Rohit Sharma on x
.@Google laying off 12,000 people today. .@sundarpichai says, “people can work from home today”. Another promise, 6 months of #Immigration support to those laid off! Don't they only have 60 days to find a new job? #greencardbacklog #googlelayoffs If you are impacted, plz DM. http…
@saxena_puru Puru Saxena on x
“Soft landing” ... this year's “transitory inflation”!? https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @technology
@feefyou Dan Booms on x
@Techmeme “Did you take a pay cut?” “No, no, I took responsibility!” lol
@aparanjape Amit Paranjape on x
“I have some difficult news to share. We've decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles. We've already sent a separate email to employees in the US who are affected. In other countries, this process will take longer due to local laws...” https://blog.google/...
@thee_chadd @thee_chadd on x
@Techmeme This is 1% more than Microsoft! Crazy. Godly they roll out the layoffs better...
@chrisstigall Chris Stigall on x
Meta, Elon, Wall Street, now Google...Tech and finance are warning what's coming. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@mattyglesias Matthew Yglesias on x
Everyone's got to “learn to mine” or get jobs as cops and teachers where almost every jurisdiction has vacancies. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@nixcraft @nixcraft on x
Just a few days back, Microsoft announced a 10K layoff. Now, Google announces a 12K layoff. https://blog.google/... Overall horrible situation.
@ulonnaya Tage on x
Google's parent Alphabet is set to lay off 12,000 employees. Sundar's letter to staff: “We've decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles... The [roles] cut across Alphabet, product areas, functions, levels and regions.” https://twitter.com/...
@thetranscript_ @thetranscript_ on x
Alphabet is laying off 12k employees: “We've decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles...These are important moments to sharpen our focus, re-engineer our cost base & direct our talent and capital to our highest priorities” - CEO @sundarpichai $GOOG $GOOGL htt…
@iatalkspace Abubakar on x
World's largest tech companies and layoffs: Microsoft (market cap, $1.7 trillion), 10k+ layoffs. Alphabet ($1.2 trillion), 12k+ job cuts. Amazon ($955 billion), laid off 10k+ workers. 😕 https://twitter.com/...
@rustybrick Barry Schwartz on x
This is sad https://twitter.com/...
@srussolillo Steven Russolillo on x
Alphabet is cutting 12,000 jobs, latest tech giant to announce layoffs. “Over the past 2 years we've seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today,” @sundarpichai says. https://blog.google/...
@schuldensuehner Holger Zschaepitz on x
#Google parent Alphabet plans to cut about 12,000 jobs, more than 6% of its global workforce. With the layoffs, Google joins a host of other tech giants that have drastically scaled back operations amid a faltering global economy. https://www.bloomberg.com/... https://twitter.com…
@katebevan Kate Bevan on x
Little annoys me more than a smug git of a rich-as-Croesus company boss saying they take “full responsibility” for job cuts when they'll continue to sit in state at the head of the org, raking in their enormosalary and bonus while people who earn much less get the boot. https://t…
@lhm1 Lucy HM on x
Will there be any tech workers left after q1? 12,000 cut today from Google... 10,000 cut from Microsoft earlier in the week. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@mrmbrown Michael Brown on x
Amazon -18k, Microsoft -10k, now Google...who next...labour market resilience starting to be tested... https://twitter.com/...
@jimhansondc Jim Hanson on x
The tech tyrants have been overvalued & over staffed for a long time My question is If they're cutting fat to “sharpen our focus” Will they still be spending on woke projects that actually detract from the bottom line? https://www.nytimes.com/...

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