Google Undertakes Fresh Layoffs, Plans Expansion In Hubs Including Bangalore

Google has initiated a round of layoffs affecting personnel within its real estate and finance departments. Reports from Business Insider indicate that employees in various roles, including treasury, business services, and revenue cash operations, have been impacted by the restructuring efforts.

According to an email sent internally by Google's finance chief, Ruth Porat, to the company's staff, Google plans to bolster its presence in designated "growth hubs" such as Bangalore, Mexico City, and Dublin as part of the restructuring. While Google confirmed the layoffs, the company refrained from disclosing precise figures regarding the number of affected employees or the specific teams involved.

A spokesperson for Google stated that a fraction of the roles affected by the layoffs would be relocated to key hubs where the company is intensifying its investments, such as India, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dublin. The restructuring appears to be part of Google's broader strategy to enhance efficiency, streamline operations, and realign resources with its primary product priorities.

These layoffs come amid a series of workforce reductions within Google and the broader technology sector throughout the year. Earlier in January, Google terminated the employment of hundreds of workers across various teams, including engineering, hardware, and assistant teams, as the company pivoted its focus towards bolstering its artificial intelligence capabilities.

Alphabet's CEO, Sundar Pichai, forewarned employees via an internal memo in January about further job impacts, citing ambitious goals and the necessity to make tough decisions to create capacity for investment. This latest restructuring follows Alphabet's announcement in January 2023 of plans to slash 12,000 jobs, constituting 6 per cent of its global workforce.

The tech industry at large has witnessed similar workforce adjustments, with notable layoffs occurring at other major players such as Apple and Amazon. Earlier this month, Apple downsized its workforce by 600 employees across its self-driving car and smartwatch screen teams following the discontinuation of both projects earlier in the year.

Similarly, Amazon Web Services executed job cuts in April, eliminating several hundred roles in sales, marketing, and technology as part of broader restructuring efforts by its parent company.