Qualcomm Layoffs: Qualcomm, a leading manufacturer of smartphone chips, has announced plans to lay off 226 employees in San Diego later this year, as outlined in a California WARN notice released this week. The layoffs, first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, are set to take effect during the week of November 12.


The layoffs will impact employees at 16 facilities throughout San Diego, including the company's headquarters, which hosts a cybersecurity division. It's currently unclear whether the cybersecurity team will be affected or not.


Qualcomm spokesperson Kristin Stiles said in a statement: “Our leading technology and product portfolio has positioned us to execute on our diversification strategy. As part of a normal course of business, we prioritise and align our investments, resources, and talent to ensure we are optimally positioned to take advantage of the unprecedented diversification opportunities in front of us.”


Qualcomm's decision to lay off hundreds of employees comes less than a year after it laid off over 1,250 workers. In 2023, the chipmaker reported an annual revenue of $35.8 billion, while CEO Cristiano Amon received a total compensation package of $23.5 million.


Layoffs have become synonymous with the tech industry. Every day, we hear one or the other tech giant is laying off thousands of employees. Recently, tech giant Cisco announced a new round of layoffs this year, marking its second workforce reduction. This latest round will affect approximately 5,600 employees or around 7 per cent of the company's total staff. This follows a previous downsizing in February when Cisco let go of over 4,000 workers.


Similarly, Microsoft announced that it will eliminate 650 jobs from its Xbox division in a new wave of layoffs, marking the second major reduction in its gaming sector this year. This follows an earlier cut of around 1,900 positions in January 2024. 


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