Google Layoffs

At the end of December 2022, Google had over 190,000 employees. On January 20, Google announced the layoff of 12,000 employees within the company, thus bringing the number of total employees by January 2023 to 178,234 full-time employees.

Explaining the layoff

In a blog post, “A difficult decision to set us up for the future,” Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, announced:

I have some difficult news to share. We’ve decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles. We’ve already sent a separate email to employees in the US who are affected. In other countries, this process will take longer due to local laws and practices.

He emphasized:

Over the past two years we’ve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today.

Sundar Pichai explained:

In the US, Alphabet

Would pay employees during the full notification period (minimum 60 days).
Would also offer a severance package starting at 16 weeks salary plus two weeks for every additional year at Google, and accelerate at least 16 weeks of GSU vesting.
Would pay 2022 bonuses and remaining vacation time.
Would be offering 6 months of healthcare, job placement services, and immigration support for those affected.
Outside the US, Would support employees in line with local practices.