Google lays off hundreds of people from inside its Platform and Devices division

As it said it would do earlier this year, Google has laid off hundreds of employees from its Platforms and Devices division, The Information reported. That part of the company, which employs over 25,000 people, houses its Pixel phones and smartwatches, Nest devices, the Android and ChromeOS platforms and Chrome browser. In January, Google offered buyouts to let them leave as part of a "voluntary exit plan." 

"Since combining the platforms and devices teams last year, we've focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively and this included making some job reductions in addition to the voluntary exit program that we offered in January," a Google spokesperson told The Information.

The Platform and Devices group was formed in April 2024 as a merger of two units, Platforms and Ecosystems and Devices and Services, with SVP Rick Osterloh put in charge. In January, he told employees that the buyouts were available "for those struggling to meet the demands of their role or those unhappy with the company's hybrid work setup." The decision to offer buyouts rather than immediately laying off workers was reportedly prompted by employee complaints over previous layoffs. 

Meta also announced layoffs in January, and tech firms have been steadily laying off workers over the past couple of years. An exception to that has been in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) which has conversely faced a shortage of skilled employees. 

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