Google made staffing reductions in its news division this week, cutting at least 40 jobs, as reported by CNBC. Google laid off some of its employees from the news division this week. The Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson mentioned that around 40 to 45 workers from Google News lost their jobs.
The spokesperson wasn’t sure about the exact numbers, but they mentioned that hundreds of people are still working on the news product.
“We’re deeply committed to a vibrant information ecosystem, and news is a part of that long-term investment,” the Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson said, as per CNBC.
“We’ve made some internal changes to streamline our organization. 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,” they added.
A Google employee, Rob R, a Staff Software Engineer at the tech giant, also posted on LinkedIn to discuss the recent layoffs.
He described those who were let go as…” some of the best and brightest people.”
“These are some of the best and brightest people I’ve ever worked with, and frankly, I don’t expect the calculus behind this decision to make sense to me. We’re definitely worse off without them,” he wrote.
Google’s fresh layoffs come amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which has forced online platforms to share accurate information on the conflict with the public.
Prominent individuals have called on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to combat disseminating false and misleading information regarding the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Screenshot
On the other hand, Google has assured that the recent job cuts will not compromise the quality of its news division’s work.
“These internal changes have no impact on our misinformation and information quality work in News,” Google’s spokesperson said.
The recent job cuts coincide with Google’s ongoing downsizing efforts in response to a sluggish growth trend and an uncertain economic environment.
In January this year, Google revealed its plans to reduce its workforce by 12,000 positions, and just last month, it implemented workforce reductions in its recruiting division, affecting hundreds of jobs.
For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.