Google Lays Off Hundreds of Employees in its Platform and Devices Division

Google is laying off hundreds of employees working in its Platforms and Devices division, according to a new report from The Information (paywalled). The job cuts follow Google’s decision to move Android and Chrome teams under the leadership of Rick Osterloh, the Senior Vice President of the company’s Platforms and Devices unit last year.

The group of products in this consolidated division currently include the Android platform, Google Play, Chrome, as well as Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit devices. Back in January, Google had already offered buyouts to employees working in its Platforms and Devices units, a move that hinted at possible job cuts later this 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 may not be the only big tech company to lay off more of its employees this spring. Earlier this week, Business Insider reported that Microsoft could announce more job cuts focusing on managers and non-coders as soon as next month. The company already carried out performance-based job cuts earlier this year.