The ongoing regulatory pressures in the U.S. and other countries accusing Google of monopolizing the online search market have sparked discussions about the potential sale of Chrome. This has raised concerns among employees, with reports on the anonymous forum Team Blind suggesting that this move could lead to mass layoffs in early 2025. Around 1,200 employees have reportedly already been let go before Christmas.
A user on Team Blind highlighted possible signs of a hiring freeze and upcoming layoffs, which prompted responses from self-identified Google employees confirming January dismissals. Speculation indicates that lower-paid employees, whose hiring increased by 8-10% in 2024, are most likely to be affected.
Adding to these rumors, Alphabet’s CFO, Anat Ashkenazi, mentioned during a Q3 earnings call that the company is working on reducing costs by simplifying operations and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). This suggests that Google may be planning to replace certain roles with AI solutions, despite the need for significant investments over the next few years.
Recent reports have also emerged of layoffs in Google Cloud Sales, with approximately 1,200 employees allegedly being dismissed. If true, this would signal the start of a new wave of job cuts at Google, following the large-scale layoffs in January 2023, when 12,000 employees were let go globally.
Although there is no official confirmation linking these layoffs to the potential sale of Chrome, the situation highlights the growing tensions within Google as it navigates regulatory challenges and operational restructuring. Efforts to halt the Chrome sale, including anticipated interference from Donald Trump, seem unlikely, as Judge Amit Mehta is expected to reject the former president’s involvement in the case.
Filed in . Read more about Chrome, Donald Trump, Google, and Rumors.
