Google Layoffs: Sundar Pichai’s company fires employees in Pixel, Android and Chrome division

Google has laid off hundreds of employees in its Platforms and Devices division, which is responsible for Android OS, Pixel phones and the Google Chrome browser, according to a report by The Information. The Platforms & Devices division is reportedly also responsible for everything from Android (Auto, TV, Wear OS, XR), Google Photos, Google One and Chrome OS. It also includes many hardware products such as Fitbit and Google Nest.

Confirming the layoffs to The Information, a Google spokesperson said, "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," 

This division is led Google SVP Rick Osterloh and formed in April 2024 after the tech giant merged its Platforms & Ecosystems and Devices & The layoffs come shortly after Osterloh announced a "voluntary exit programme" for employees in January, offering them severance packages and other benefits for leaving the tech giant.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported in February that Google had laid off employees in its cloud division. Earlier, in January 2023, the company had laid off around 12,000 employees or almost 6% of its global workforce.

Are there other layoffs coming in Big Tech companies? 

While Google has already confirmed hundreds of layoffs, a new report from Business Insider has revealed that Microsoft is also considering a fresh round of layoffs next month, and is looking at ways to increase the ratio of coders to non-coders on its projects.

While the exact number of job cuts remains unclear, the report suggests that a significant portion of the team could be affected. The fresh layoffs could come shortly after the Redmond, Washington-based company reportedly began performance-based job cuts in February, which resulted in employees losing their jobs with immediate effect and without severance pay.