Forward of Google’s annual I/O developer convention in Might, the tech large has laid off workers throughout key groups like Flutter, Dart, Python and others, in keeping with reviews from affected staff shared on social media. Google confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch, however not the precise groups, roles or how many individuals have been let go.
“As we’ve mentioned, we’re responsibly investing in our firm’s greatest priorities and the numerous alternatives forward,” mentioned Google spokesperson Alex García-Kummert. “To finest place us for these alternatives, all through the second half of 2023 and into 2024, various our groups made adjustments to turn into extra environment friendly and work higher, take away layers, and align their assets to their greatest product priorities. By way of this, we’re simplifying our constructions to provide staff extra alternative to work on our most modern and necessary advances and our greatest firm priorities, whereas decreasing paperwork and layers,” he added.
The corporate clarified that the layoffs weren’t company-wide however have been reorgs which are a part of the traditional course of enterprise. Affected staff will be capable to apply for different open roles at Google, we’re instructed.
In one X publish, a PM from Flutter and Dart mentioned the layoffs had affected “a LOT of groups,” and that “a lot of nice initiatives misplaced individuals.”
“We’re unhappy, however nonetheless cranking exhausting on I/O and past,” wrote Google PM Kevin Moore within the Flutter improvement group on Reddit, the place he added that Flutter and Dart weren’t affected any kind of than different groups. “We all know ya’ll care SO MUCH in regards to the venture and the workforce and the superior ecosystem we’ve constructed collectively. You’re nervous. I get it. We get it. You’re betting on Flutter and Dart. So am I. So is Google,” he mentioned.
Google additionally instructed TechCrunch that Flutter could have new updates to share at I/O this 12 months.
In a separate publish on Reddit, one other commenter famous the Python workforce affected by the layoffs have been those that managed the inner Python runtimes and toolchains and labored with OSS Python. Included on this group have been “a number of present and former core devs and steering council members,” they mentioned.
In the meantime, others shared on Y Combinator’s Hacker Information, the place a Python workforce member detailed their particular duties on the technical entrance and famous that, for years, a lot of the work was executed with fewer than 10 individuals. One other Hacker Information commenter mentioned their early years on the Python workforce have been spent paying down inside technical debt amassed from not having a robust Python technique.
“[D]espite the understaffing, we had managers who have been extraordinarily good about sustaining work/life steadiness and the ‘marathon, not dash’ strategy to work. As I mentioned in one other remark, it’s one of the best job I’ve ever had, and I’ll miss it deeply,” they wrote.
“Python was one of many very first languages used extensively at Google. It was the final main backend language to get a language workforce,” the person, gpshead, additionally mentioned.
Although Google didn’t element headcount, among the layoffs at Google could have been confirmed in a WARN discover filed on April 24. WARN, or the California Employee Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, requires employers with greater than 100 staff to supply 60-day discover prematurely of layoffs. Within the submitting, Google mentioned it was shedding a complete of fifty staff throughout three places in Sunnyvale.
CNBC reviews {that a} whole of 200 individuals have been let go throughout Google’s “Core” groups, which included these engaged on Python, app platforms, and different engineering roles. Some jobs have been being shifted to India and Mexico, it mentioned, citing inside paperwork.
On social media, commenters raised issues with the Python layoffs particularly, given the function that Python tooling performs in AI. However others identified that Google didn’t get rid of its Python workforce; it changed that workforce with one other group primarily based in Munich — a minimum of in keeping with Python Steering Council member Thomas Wouters in a publish on Mastodon final Thursday.
“It’s a tricky day when everybody you’re employed with straight, together with your supervisor, is laid off — excuse me, ‘had their roles lowered,’ and also you’re requested to onboard their replacements, individuals instructed to take these exact same roles simply in a distinct nation who aren’t any happier about it,” he mentioned.
Google mentioned it will help all affected staff, in keeping with native necessities, by offering them with time to seek for completely different roles at Google or elsewhere, entry to outplacement companies and severance.
Article initially revealed April 29, 2024, 11:32 AM PT. Up to date with new data from CNBC on Might 1, 2024, 1:55 PM ET.
