Google axes more workers in crackdown on costs

Alphabet-owned Google is laying off an unspecified number of workers, a company spokesman says, marking the latest cuts at the technology giant as it cracks down on costs.

The Google spokesman said the lay-offs were not companywide and that affected employees would be able to apply for internal roles. The person did not specify the number of employees affected or the teams involved.

A small percentage of the affected roles will move to hubs the company is investing in, including India, Chicago, Atlanta and Dublin.

The lay-offs follow a slew of job cuts across Google, and the tech and media industry this year, adding to fears that they may continue as companies grapple with economic uncertainty.

“Throughout the second half of 2023 and into 2024, a number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers and align their resources to their biggest product priorities,” the spokesman added

Employees across several of Google’s teams in its real estate and finance departments have been affected, according to a Business Insider report on Wednesday. The finance teams affected included Google’s treasury, business services and revenue cash operations, it added.

Google’s finance chief, Ruth Porat, sent an email to staff saying the restructuring included expanding growth to Bengaluru, Mexico City and Dublin, according to the Business Insider report.

Google fired hundreds of workers across multiple teams in January, including its engineering, hardware and assistant teams, as the company ramps up investment and builds its artificial intelligence offerings.

CEO Sundar Pichai reportedly told employees at the start of the year to expect more job cuts.