Google Lays Off Hundreds In Platforms And Devices Division Amid Restructuring: Report

A Google spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to The Information, noting that the restructuring is intended to boost efficiency and responsiveness within the Platforms and Devices group

The latest wave of job cuts comes after Google’s larger workforce reduction in 2023, when about 6 per cent of its global staff were laid off

Source : Pixabay

Alphabet’s Google has laid off hundreds of employees from its Platforms and Devices division, which oversees flagship products such as Android, Pixel smartphones, and the Chrome browser, according to a report by The Information, citing sources familiar with the matter. 

The layoffs are part of a broader restructuring effort that began last year, when Google consolidated its Android and Chrome teams under the Pixel and Devices umbrella, now led by senior executive Rick Osterloh. At the time of the merger, the combined unit employed over 20,000 people.

A Google spokesperson confirmed the layoffs to The Information, noting that the restructuring is intended to boost efficiency and responsiveness within the Platforms and Devices group.

“Since combining the Platforms and Devices teams last year, we’ve focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively. This included making some job reductions in addition to the voluntary exit programme that we offered in January,” the spokesperson noted. The company added that hiring efforts are still ongoing both in the US and internationally.

The latest wave of job cuts comes after Google’s larger workforce reduction in 2023, when about 6 per cent of its global staff were laid off. While additional cuts have occurred since then, the company’s total headcount still stands at roughly 180,000 employees.

Google Offered A Voluntary Exit Program To Android, Pixel, And Chrome Teams

Earlier this year, Google rolled out a voluntary exit program for US-based employees working on Android, Pixel, and Chrome, targeting staff who may have struggled to adapt to the merged division’s new direction or the company's evolving hybrid work policies. The initiative did not extend to teams working on Search or artificial intelligence (AI), which remain core focus areas for the company.

Separately, in February, Bloomberg reported that Google made targeted job cuts within its cloud division, affecting only a limited number of teams.