Google Initiates Mass Layoffs Across Multiple Divisions and Faces Organizational Changes

Google has laid off hundreds of employees across various divisions including engineering and services. The affected divisions encompass the voice-activated Google Assistant as part of the knowledge and information product team restructuring, and the Devices and Services PA (DSPA) team managing Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit hardware. The company confirmed this development and stated that the job cuts were part of organizational changes. As part of this reorganization, Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, as well as other Fitbit leaders, are leaving Google. 

Last year, Google had layoffs in various teams including the Waze mapping service in June, its recruiting team in September, and its news division in October. The latest company-wide layoff comes a year after Google let go of approximately 12,000 roles, or 6% of its workforce, in January 2023.

The company stated that some teams are continuing to make organizational changes, including role eliminations globally. Google had pledged to reduce costs, following the example of other technology companies like Meta and Amazon, which have also announced significant layoffs. The company is prioritizing developing areas related to artificial intelligence, launching products such as Bard and Gemeni to compete with Microsoft and Amazon.