Alphabet's Google on Thursday laid off hundreds of employees in its platforms and devices unit, which works on the Android software, Pixel phones and the Chrome browser, The Information reported on Friday, citing a person with direct knowledge of the situation.
The job cuts come months after Google offered buyout packages to staff in the same unit in January.
A spokesperson confirmed that the layoffs are part of an internal restructuring effort aimed at streamlining operations following the merger of its Platforms and Devices teams last year.
"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.
Google has not yet commented publicly to other outlets, including Reuters, on the exact number of roles affected.
The tech giant has made several waves of layoffs over the past year. In February, Bloomberg reported that Google had reduced staff in its cloud division, though those cuts were limited to select teams.
Bloomberg in February reported that Google had cut employees in its cloud division, adding that the round of cuts impacted only a few teams.
This latest round follows broader cost-cutting measures announced by Google’s parent company Alphabet in January 2023, when it said it would eliminate 12,000 jobs — about 6% of its global workforce — amid economic uncertainty and a changing tech landscape.
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