Google's news division witnesses significant job cuts: Alphabet Workers Union reports on layoffs
In a recent development, Google has initiated workforce cuts in the News unit of the company. Based on the reports by CNBC, this round of layoffs has affected around 40-45 jobs. An Alphabet Workers Union spokesperson revealed the information about the layoffs to CNBC. The report also cites a Google spokesperson who confirmed the job cuts but also claimed that ‘hundreds of people’ are still working in Google’s news division.
Google News offers users access to top-ranking news articles tailored to their interests and geographical preferences through its intuitive ‘News’ tab interface.
Although Google has confirmed the job cuts, they affirm that this move was commenced in an effort to streamline the workforce at Google News.
A spokesperson from Google stated to CNBC, that the company is committed to fostering a robust information ecosystem, with their news unit playing an integral role in the long-term. The recent layoffs, according to this spokesperson, is part of internal restructuring efforts.
While a small number of employees were affected by the recent layoffs in the news division, Google has expressed its dedicated support during this transitional period, in the form of outplacement services, severance pay, and aiding them to find new opportunities either at Google or elsewhere.
Earlier this year, on January 21, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, announced that they would be downsizing their global workforce by 6 per cent. This amounted to layoffs of 12,000 Google employees, and other divisions under Alphabet. The company had claimed that they had hired according to the booming digital economy at the time of the pandemic.
