By Chantal Da Silva -
NBC News
Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., announced this Friday that it will cut 12,000 jobs worldwide, equivalent to 6% of its workforce, thus joining a large number of technology companies that are making layoffs alleging an economic situation. unfavorable.
The company's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, disclosed the decision in a memo sent to Google employees, which was later posted on the company's blog.
Google offices, on October 22, 2020 in New York. Eduardo Munoz Álvarez / VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images
"This will mean saying goodbye to some incredibly talented people that we worked hard to recruit and have loved working with," Pichai said. "I am deeply sorry. The fact that these changes will affect the lives of
Googlers
weighs heavily on me, and I assume full responsibility for the decisions that have led us to this point," he said.
The technology giant did not specify which divisions will be affected by this job cut, but, according to Pichai's note, it is expected to impact the vast majority of countries where Google is present, starting with the United States.
[Microsoft announces thousands of layoffs and adds to a wave of cuts from technology companies that already affects more than 60,000 people]
The cuts come amid a wave of mass layoffs in the tech industry.
Just a few days ago, Microsoft Corp. notified that it will lay off 10,000 people.
Pichai claimed that Google's decision is influenced by changing "economic realities."
"In the last two years we have experienced periods of spectacular growth. To match and fuel that growth, we contracted for a different economic reality than the one we face today," he explained.
Although the CEO of Google admitted that the company is "destined to go through difficult economic cycles," he said he felt "confident in the enormous opportunity before us thanks to the strength of our mission, the value of our products and services, and our first investments in artificial intelligence".
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Pichai said that the workers affected by the layoffs in the United States will be paid for the entire notice period, that is, a minimum of 60 days.
In addition, employees will also be offered severance payments starting at 16 weeks of salary, plus two weeks for each additional year at Google, with bonuses corresponding to 2022 benefits and pending vacations that will be paid.
Pichai added that the company will offer the laid-off workers health coverage for six months, job search services and help with immigration services if they need it.
"Outside the United States, we will support employees in accordance with local practices," he added.
Pichai said that an information meeting for the workers is being organized next Monday.
"Until then please take care as you process this difficult news," he wrote.
