Multiple sources have verified the latest Google layoffs 2024 rumors. The company started 2024 with a big layoff, the second one, to be precise. This time, the hardware team, which involves FitBit, Pixel, and Nest employees, has been affected. This also includes the FitBit cofounders and leaders.
Big changes are happening at Google in 2024, especially in their Devices & Services teams, the folks responsible for cool gadgets like Pixel phones, Nest smart home devices, and Fitbit wearables. Reports are buzzing about Google letting go of hundreds of employees across different parts of the company. A Google spokesperson confirmed these job cuts, saying that Google is being smart with its investments and focusing on the big things it wants to do.
Google layoffs 2024 approved by the tech giant
In this big shake-up, Google isn’t just affecting the Hardware team working on Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit stuff; they’re also making changes in their core engineering and Google Assistant teams. In fact, Google recently admitted that they’re getting rid of “a few hundred” jobs in each of these divisions, which means about 1,000 people lost their jobs in just one day, says The Verge.
In an email shared with Forbes, Google explains that these layoffs are part of a bigger plan to make the company work better and smarter. They want to organize things in a way that matches up with what they care about the most. Google also promises to help the folks who lost their jobs find new ones within Google or somewhere else.
In one of our recent stories, we covered the upcoming Google AI layoffs that could potentially hit 30,000 employees in total. It looks like this is just the beginning and Google will continue to streamline its business by laying off more employees.
The hardware team includes FitBit, Pixel, and Nest employees
Before all the Google Layoffs 2024 decisions and news, the company managed Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit as separate teams. They each had their own people for design, making the gadgets, writing software, and designing the way things look and work. It was like Google had three little companies within their big company. This setup came from Google buying Nest in 2014 and later getting Fitbit.
Now, Google is switching things up. They’re moving to a new way of organizing stuff called a “functional organization model.” In simple terms, it means that one team will handle the hardware part of Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit. That means one person will be in charge of all the hardware stuff across all Google gadgets. We don’t know yet how this change will affect the products we love, like Pixel phones.
Saying goodbye to Fitbit leaders
When Google bought Fitbit in January 2021, some Fitbit leaders stayed on board. One of Fitbit’s co-founders, James Park even helped create the Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 for Google. But now, he and other Fitbit leaders are leaving Google. It’s a new chapter for Google as they continue to explore the world of wearables with their Pixel Buds headphones and other cool tech.
In conclusion, Google is going through some major changes in 2024, reshaping how it manages its hardware teams and making some tough decisions about jobs. While it’s a big shift, it could lead to more exciting and coordinated gadgets in the future, as Google aims to focus on what matters most to them.
Featured image credit: Kai Wenzel/Unsplash
