Alphabet's Google has terminated hundreds of workers from its Platforms and Devices sector, which manages essential products like Android software, Pixel smartphones, and the Chrome browser.

The job cuts come after a voluntary exit plan was provided to staff in January.

This action is a component of a continuous restructuring initiative that started last year when Google combined its Android and Chrome teams within the Pixel and Devices group, overseen by company executive Rick Osterloh. When the merger occurred, the merged entity employed over 20,000 individuals.

“Since combining the Platforms and Devices teams last year, we’ve focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively. This included making some job reductions in addition to the voluntary exit program that we offered in January,” according to reports.

Nevertheless, the firm also indicated that recruitment is ongoing in the US as well as internationally.
The most recent job cuts come after Google’s larger workforce reduction in 2023, during which the company dismissed about 6 percent of its worldwide employees. Even though additional layoffs have occurred since then, Google's overall workforce is still approximately 180,000 staff members.

Earlier this year, Google launched a voluntary departure program for US staff involved in Android, Pixel, and Chrome projects.

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The initiative targeted employees who might not be in agreement with the new path of the merged division or who struggled with hybrid work policies.

Importantly, groups that concentrated on Search and artificial intelligence (AI) were not part of the program.