Google is in the spotlight once again as it trims its workforce, this time within its news division, following a significant round of layoffs earlier this year. According to a CNBC report, Google has made cuts in its news division, resulting in the elimination of approximately 40-45 jobs. Although the exact number of affected employees hasn’t been officially confirmed by the company, representatives from the Alphabet Workers Union acknowledged these job reductions. Notably, these layoffs come shortly after Google laid off hundreds of employees within its recruiting group last month.
Google, a tech giant deeply ingrained in news curation and distribution, is renowned for its Google News platform, which provides readers with top-ranking news articles tailored to their interests and geographic locations.
A Google spokesperson reportedly recognised the job cuts and reiterated the company’s commitment to maintaining a robust information ecosystem. The spokesperson stated, “We’re deeply committed to a vibrant information ecosystem, and news is a part of that long-term investment. We’ve made some internal changes to streamline our organisation. A small number of employees were impacted. We’re supporting everyone with a transition period, outplacement services, and severance as they look for new opportunities at Google and beyond.”
This latest round of job cuts in Google’s news division is part of an ongoing restructuring effort that began earlier this year. Notably, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, announced plans to reduce its global workforce by 6 per cent in January, which led to layoffs affecting approximately 12,000 Google employees and individuals in other Alphabet divisions. The rationale behind this downsizing effort was attributed to the company’s previous hiring practices, which had responded to the surge in the digital economy during the pandemic.
It’s worth noting that Google is not alone in implementing workforce reductions within the tech industry. Several other technology companies have also recently announced layoffs as part of their strategic restructuring initiatives. For example, LinkedIn recently laid off around 668 employees, bringing their total layoffs for 2023 to approximately 1,400. Similarly, Qualcomm, a significant player in the smartphone chipset industry, let go of 1,258 employees, albeit primarily in two of its California offices.