Google lays off hundreds of employees in Assistant, Hardware, and Engineering Teams

Alphabet Inc.'s Google is streamlining its operations, resulting in hundreds of job cuts across the company's digital assistant, hardware, and engineering teams.

The affected employees include those working on the Google Assistant, a crucial part of the company's smart speaker and phone ecosystems. The augmented reality hardware team, responsible for exploring future technology like Google Glass, was also impacted. Additionally, Google's central engineering organization experienced staff reductions.

In a statement, Google acknowledged the job cuts as part of ongoing organizational changes aimed at increasing efficiency and focusing resources on key product priorities. The company emphasized that similar adjustments were made throughout the second half of 2023, and some teams are continuing these efforts.

“Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally,” a Google spokesperson explained. Affected employees are being notified and offered the chance to apply for open positions elsewhere within the company.

The news was met with criticism from the Alphabet Workers Union, which represents a portion of Google's workforce. In a statement posted online, the union expressed anger at the layoffs, highlighting the employees' dedication and questioning the need for cuts in light of the company's strong financial performance.

“Our members and teammates work hard every day to build great products for our users, and the company cannot continue to fire our coworkers while making billions every quarter,” the union wrote. “We won’t stop fighting until our jobs are safe!”

While Google faces pressure from the union and grapples with internal changes, the company remains a major player in the tech industry. The impact of these job cuts on Google's future projects and overall employee morale remains to be seen.

Key Points:

• Google lays off hundreds in Assistant, hardware, and engineering teams.
• The company cites efficiency and resource allocation as reasons for the cuts.
• Alphabet Workers Union criticizes the decision, highlighting employee contributions and strong financial performance.
• Future impact of the job cuts on Google and its employees remains uncertain.