Alphabet layoffs later this year to be 'much smaller in scale': reports

Layoffs at Google's parent company Alphabet will be "much smaller in scale" for the second half of 2024 as the tech giant works though job cuts in the first half, according to CEO Sundar Pichai.

The CEO made the remarks when answering questions from employees during an all-hands meeting, which included queries about layoffs.

"Assuming current conditions, the second half of the year will be much smaller in scale," Pichai said as quoted by CNBC.

The CEO also noted that he will be "very, very disciplined about managing headcount growth throughout the year."

Google announced early last year that it would lay off 12,000 employees, which included hundreds of employees in its recruitment division, after a significant headcount growth in 2022.

Pichai said during the layoffs announcement that the massive hiring came during periods of "dramatic growth," and they hired for a "different economic reality."

‘Course correction’ after hiring too many employees

In the recent all-hands meeting, the CEO admitted that they staffed up too much during the pandemic.

"We hired a lot of employees and from there, we have had course correction," he said as quoted by CNBC.

He added that the company is still "working through a long period of transition," which includes cutting expenses.

This ongoing transition also prevents the company from "reflexively" growing its headcount despite the demand to do new things, according to Pichai.

"To be clear, we're growing our expenses as a company this year, but we're moderating our pace of growth," he said as quoted by CNBC. "We see opportunities where we can re-allocate people and get things done."