Google layoffs hit development teams
Google has trimmed staff within various development teams in its latest round of layoffs, a spokesperson for the Mountain View tech giant confirmed on Monday.
Although Google did not provide a specific head count, the company filed a WARN notice with California authorities last Wednesday, indicating plans to eliminate 50 positions. The layoffs reportedly impacted members of teams such as Flutter, Dart and Python, according to TechCrunch, which first reported the news.
The spokesperson reiterated a statement shared during previous layoffs: “As we’ve said, we’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead. To best position us for these opportunities, 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.”
Earlier in January, Google announced it would lay off 702 workers in the Bay Area. Additionally, Google’s YouTube division reduced its workforce by 100. CEO Sundar Pichai indicated that further layoffs were anticipated through 2024.
Many employees affected by the latest round of layoffs shared their experiences on social media, suggesting that the cuts would have a broad impact across the company.
“We’re sad, but still cranking hard on I/O and beyond,” Kevin Moore, a project manager with Google, wrote in the Flutter development community on Reddit. “We know y’all care SO MUCH about the project and the team and the awesome ecosystem we’ve built together. You’re nervous. I get it. We get it. You’re betting on Flutter and Dart. So am I. So is Google.”
Flutter helps developers make apps for mobile phones, computers and the internet, using the programming language Dart. Python provides a programming language for web and software development, allowing users to automate tasks and analyze data.
Thomas Wouters, a member of the Python Steering Council, signaled the layoffs in a social media post last week. He indicated the Bay Area team was replaced by one based in Munich.
“It’s a tough day when everyone you work with directly, including your manager, is laid off — excuse me, ‘had their roles reduced’, and you’re asked to onboard their replacements, people told to take those very same roles just in a different country who are not any happier about it,” he wrote on Mastodon.
Employees affected by the layoffs can apply for other open positions within the company.
Google is scheduled to hold its annual developers’ conference at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View on May 14-15.