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Google lays off about 200 staff in global business unit
As Big Tech doubles down on AI and infrastructure, Google trims its global business unit workforce in the latest wave of job cuts across the industry.
Just last month, Google let go of hundreds of employees in its platforms and devices division, which oversees key products such as Android, Pixel smartphones, and the Chrome browser. (Image credits: Unsplash)
Google has laid off around 200 employees from its global business organization, which manages sales and partnerships, as part of its ongoing cost-cutting and restructuring efforts, The Information reported on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The tech giant confirmed the development in a statement to Reuters, saying it was making a "small number of changes across team to drive greater collaboration and expand our ability to quickly and effectively serve our customers."
While the company has described the layoffs as limited, they are part of a broader pattern of restructuring within Google's parent, Alphabet Inc.
Just last month, Google let go of hundreds of employees in its platforms and devices division, which oversees key products such as Android, Pixel smartphones, and the Chrome browser. This latest move indicates a continued shift in strategic focus—away from legacy hardware and sales operations, and toward high-growth areas like artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure.
Since January 2023, Alphabet has trimmed thousands of roles as part of a larger tech industry trend. That year, the company slashed 12,000 jobs—approximately 6% of its global workforce. According to a February filing mentioned in the report, Alphabet had 1.83,323 employees as of December 31, 2024.
Google isn’t alone. Tech peers including Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple have all enacted layoffs in the past year. Meta culled about 5% of its "lowest performers" in early 2025, Microsoft laid off 650 employees in its Xbox division in September, and Amazon trimmed staff across communications and other business units. Apple also reportedly cut around 100 positions from its digital services group.
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