A 12 months in the past, Google began off 2024 with some layoffs. It hasn’t taken comparable steps (but) in 2025, however workers are fearing the worst. And if the Platforms and Gadgets workforce is something to go by, there’s ample motive for concern. Google has distributed a memo to all US workers engaged on Android, Pixel {hardware}, and different tasks that gives a “voluntary exit program” guaranteeing severance for anybody prepared to step away from their function on the firm. The memo went out from platforms and units SVP Rick Osterloh, in accordance with 9to5Google.
“This comes after we introduced two massive organizations collectively final 12 months,” Osterloh wrote. “There’s large momentum on this workforce and with a lot essential work forward, we would like everybody to be deeply dedicated to our mission and targeted on constructing nice merchandise, with velocity and effectivity.” Voluntary buyouts can usually be a precursor to layoffs if not sufficient workers take Google up on its provide and select to go away.
A number of months later in October, Alphabet’s chief finance officer Anat Ashkenazi mentioned she would prioritize “price efficiencies” all through the corporate. “There’s actually good work that was finished, began by Ruth, Sundar and the remainder of the lead workforce to re-engineer the fee base,” she mentioned throughout her first earnings name as CFO. “However I feel any group can all the time push somewhat additional and I’ll be taking a look at further alternatives.” The price-cutting measures are partly designed to offset Google pouring a lot cash into AI.
Google’s Pixel telephones have by no means come wherever near the gross sales numbers loved by Apple and Samsung, however the firm is a minimum of trending in the correct course; Counterpoint Analysis reported that Google recorded its highest-ever quarterly gross sales quantity for smartphones in Q3 2024.
Some workers at Google have lately been circulating a petition that requires CEO Sundar Pichai to supply precisely this kind of non-compulsory buyout earlier than resorting to involuntary layoffs. “Ongoing rounds of layoffs make us really feel insecure about our jobs,” the petition mentioned, in accordance with CNBC. “The corporate is clearly in a robust monetary place, making the lack of so many precious colleagues with out rationalization damage much more.”
At the very least in the intervening time, it seems the voluntary exit program hasn’t been prolonged to different divisions inside Google like search or the DeepMind AI workforce.
