Google parent Alphabet Inc. is cutting 12,000 jobs, its chief executive said in a staff memo.
The cuts are the latest to rock the tech sector and come days after rival Microsoft Corp. said it would cut 10,000 jobs Work.
Here’s Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai’s message to employees:
googler,
I have some hard news to share. We have decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles. We have already sent a separate email to affected employees in the US. In other countries, this process will take longer due to local laws and practices.
It also means saying goodbye to some incredibly talented people who we’ve worked hard to recruit and loved working with. I am deeply sorry for this. The impact these changes will have on the lives of Googlers rests heavily on me, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that got us here.
In the last two years we have seen a period of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we recruited for a different economic reality than the one we face today.
I am confident in the strength of our mission, the value of our products and services, and the enormous opportunity ahead of us thanks to our initial investment in AI. To fully capture it, we have to make hard choices. So, we conducted a rigorous review across product areas and functions toWork ensure our people and roles aligned with our highest priorities as a company. The roles we are dropping reflect the results of that review They cut across alphabets, product areas, functions, levels and regions.
Googlers who are leaving us: Thank you for working so hard to help people and businesses everywhere. Your contributions have been invaluable and we are grateful for them.
While this transition won’t be easy, we’re going to support employees as they look for their next opportunity
We will pay employees during the full notice period (minimum 60 days).
We will also offer a severance package starting at 16 weeks of pay and two weeks for each additional year at Google and accelerate vesting of at least 16 weeks of GSU.
We will pay the 2022 bonus and remaining vacation time.
We will provide 6 months of healthcare, job placement services and immigration support for victims.
Outside the United States, we will support employees in accordance with local practices.
As an almost 25-year-old company, we are bound to go through tough economic cycles. These are critical moments to sharpen our focus, re-engineer our cost base, and direct our talent and capital to our highest priorities.
Constraints in some cases allow us to make bigger bets over others. Making the company AI-first a few years ago has led to breakthroughs in our business and across the industry.
Thanks to that early investment, Google’s products are better than ever. And we’re getting ready to share some completely new experiences for users, developers, and businesses. There is a significant opportunity ahead of us with AI across our products and we are ready to approach it boldly and responsibly.
All of these actions are a continuation of the “healthy disregard for the impossible” that has been at the core of our culture since the beginning. When I look around Google today, I see that same spirit and energy driving our efforts. This is why I am optimistic about our ability to deliver on our mission, even on our hardest days. Today is definitely one of them.
I’m sure you have many questions about how we proceed. We will be organizing a town hall on Monday. Check your calendar for details. Until then, please take care of yourself as you receive this difficult news. As part of this, if you just started your work day, please work from home today.
