Google Parent Alphabet Said to Cut 12,000 Jobs in Latest Jolt to Technology Sector

Alphabet is eliminating 12,000 jobs, its chief executive said in a staff memo shared with Reuters.

The cuts mark the latest to shake the technology sector and come days after rival Microsoft said it would lay off 10,000 workers.

The job losses affect teams across the company including recruiting and some corporate functions, as well as some engineering and products teams.

The layoffs are global and impact US staff immediately, Google said.

The news comes during a period of economic uncertainty as well as technological promise, in which Google and Microsoft have been investing in a fledgling area of software known as generative artificial intelligence.

Sundar Pichai, Alphabet's CEO, said in the note, "I am confident about the huge opportunity in front of us thanks to the strength of our mission, the value of our products and services, and our early investments in AI."

Reuters was first to report the news.

Earlier this week, Microsoft said it would eliminate 10,000 jobs and take a $1.2 billion charge to earnings, as its cloud-computing customers reassess their spending and the company braces for potential recession.

The layoffs add to the tens of thousands announced in recent months across the technology sector, which has downshifted following a strong growth period during the pandemic.

The news comes even as the software maker is set to ramp up spending in generative artificial intelligence that the industry sees as the new bright spot.

Customers wanted to "optimize their digital spend to do more with less" and "exercise caution as some parts of the world are in a recession and other parts are anticipating one," he said. "At the same time, the next major wave of computing is being born with advances in AI."

Nadella said the layoffs, affecting less than 5 percent of Microsoft's workforce, would conclude by the end of March, with notifications beginning Wednesday.

© Thomson Reuters 2023