Connect with us

Published

on

A view of the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, on April 16, 2024.

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu | Getty Images

Google told staffers in its “People Operations” and cloud organizations this week that it plans to cut employees as a part of internal reorganizations, CNBC has learned.

The company will offer a voluntary exit program to U.S.-based, full-time employees in People Operations, Google’s human relations division, starting in early March, according to a memo issued by HR chief Fiona Cicconi on Tuesday that was viewed by CNBC. 

The latest cuts come after finance chief Anat Ashkenazi said one of her top priorities would be to drive more cost-cutting as Google expands its spending on AI infrastructure in 2025. After the company reported revenue that missed expectations for the fourth quarter earlier this month, Ashkenazi said that the company had strong demand for AI products and that it “exited the year with more demand than we had available capacity.”

As part of the People Operations buyouts, employees who are level 4 and level 5 may receive a severance of 14 weeks of salary and one additional week for every full year of service, the memo states. Those are considered mid- to senior-level employees.

Separately, the company also made cuts to several teams within its cloud unit, mostly impacting operations support staff, according to sources and separate internal memos. Some of those moves include moving roles to other countries.

The company confirmed the changes to CNBC, saying reorganizations are part of the normal course of business.

“Our teams have continued to make changes to operate more efficiently, remove layers, and ensure they are set up for long term success,” said Google spokesperson Brandon Asberry in a statement. “This work is ongoing as we continue to invest in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead.”

Last month, Google executives announced they would offer buyouts to U.S. based employees in its “Platforms and Devices” unit ahead of expected cuts. That unit houses more than 25,000 full-time employees who work on Android, Chrome, ChromeOS, Google Photos, Google One, Pixel, Fitbit and Nest.

The company said it is supporting all impacted employees, in line with local requirements, including time to explore and apply to different roles at Google.

Cloud Cuts

The Alphabet-owned company’s cloud layoffs impacted the unit’s sales operations, customer experience, internal deal and go-to-market teams, according to sources who asked not to be named because they are not permitted to speak publicly.

Cloud is one of the company’s high-growth business units and benefits from AI products. For the fourth quarter, the cloud unit’s revenue increased 30% from the year prior. Alphabet has been drawing profit from the cloud business as it tries to keep up with market leaders Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

Some impacted employees’ roles are being relocated to India and Mexico City, according to sources and internal correspondence viewed by CNBC.

The company confirmed that the changes include consolidating or opening roles in other parts of the U.S and overseas. The largest employee presence for the cloud unit is still in the U.S., and that’s not changing, the company added.

The number of layoffs is unclear, but the company said it is small in quantity and that the organization continues to hire for critical sales and engineering roles.

Bloomberg first reported the cuts to Google’s cloud division on Wednesday.

WATCH: Google reportedly to be hit with EU charges of infringing on Apple, Meta platforms

Google reportedly to be hit with EU charges of infringing on Apple, Meta platforms

Continue Reading

Technology

Bitcoin hits over 3-month low, reversing gains post Trump election

Published

on

By

Bitcoin hits over 3-month low, reversing gains post Trump election

Jakub Porzycki | Nurphoto | Getty Images

A week-long rout in Bitcoin worsened Friday, with the digital asset hitting an over 3-month low, reversing gains that followed the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Bitcoin was trading at about $80,500 in early trading in Asia, down 3.45% on the day and nearly 25% lower than an all-time high hit in mid December.

Bitcoin had enjoyed a surge in prices following Trump’s victory in November, with the leader having posed himself as a pro-crypto candidate during his campaign.

However, prices have slipped as investors shun assets perceived to be risky given the weakness in global equity markets, uncertainty surrounding the new President’s tariff policy and resolutions to major wars such as Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza.

Investor sentiment was also soured by news that Bybit, a major cryptocurrency exchange, suffered a $1.5 billion hack in what’s estimated to be the largest crypto heist in history.

“It seems that the market has become volatile in reaction to the Bybit incident,” Jeff Mei, chief operating officer at crypto exchange BTSE said in a statement sent to CNBC, adding that inflation concerns and a pause in Fed rate cuts in the U.S. have also suppressed markets.

Still, some crypto bulls remain positive on Bitcoin’s outlook as they await key regulatory developments from the Trump administration.

Already, Trump has signed an executive order promoting the advancement of cryptocurrencies in the U.S. and developing a national digital asset stockpile. Meanwhile, his administration has created task forces and a “crypto czar” tasked with supporting a clear regulatory framework for crypto assets.

Bitcoin to hit $500,000 before Trump leaves office, Standard Chartered says

Geoffrey Kendrick, head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, said in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Thursday that bitcoin could surpass the $200,000 threshold this year.

Increased crypto adoption by institutions along with some “regulatory clarity” in the U.S., should lead to less volatility over time, he said.

—CNBC’s Ryan Browne contributed to this report

Continue Reading

Technology

House Judiciary Committee subpoenas Alphabet, Meta, other tech giants over ‘foreign censorship’ of speech

Published

on

By

House Judiciary Committee subpoenas Alphabet, Meta, other tech giants over 'foreign censorship' of speech

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is interviewed by FOX and Friends at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 3, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent subpoenas to eight technology companies asking for more information about their communications with foreign governments over concerns that they seek to “censor speech” in the U.S.

The subpoenas were sent Wednesday to the CEOs of Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and TikTok, as well as X and video platform Rumble.

“The Committee must understand how and to what extent foreign governments have limited Americans’ access to lawful speech in the United States, as well as the extent to which the Biden-Harris Administration aided or abetted these efforts,” Jordan said in a statement.

CNBC reached out to each of the subpoenaed companies for comment. A spokesperson for Microsoft said the company is engaged with the panel and “committed to working in good faith.”

A Rumble spokesperson said it “has received the subpoena and we look forward to sharing information related to the ongoing efforts of numerous governments around the globe who seek to suppress the innate human right to self expression.”

Jordan pointed to the European Union’s Digital Services Act, a similar set of laws in the U.K., called the Online Services Act, and regulations around illegal content and hate speech in Brazil and Australia.

The committee is seeking communications around the companies’ compliance with “foreign censorship laws, regulations, judicial orders or other government-initiated efforts” and any internal correspondence discussing those matters.

The subpoenas come after the Federal Trade Commission last week launched an inquiry into “tech censorship.” FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson said in a statement that the probe will help the agency “better understand how these firms may have violated the law by silencing and intimidating Americans for speaking their minds.”

The FTC’s request for public comment defines tech platforms as companies that provide a range of services, from social media and video sharing to event planning and ride sharing.

The Republican-led committee has previously accused major tech companies of censorship. The panel subpoenaed Alphabet, Meta and other firms in 2023, demanding they turn over communications between the companies and the U.S. government over censorship concerns.

WATCH: Big Tech breadth is a buying opportunity

Big Tech breadth is a buying opportunity, says UBS’ Alli McCartney

Continue Reading

Technology

Autodesk says it will cut 1,350 employees, or 9% of workforce, to make the most of sales changes

Published

on

By

Autodesk says it will cut 1,350 employees, or 9% of workforce, to make the most of sales changes

Andrew Anagnost, chief executive officer of Autodesk Inc., during a Bloomberg Television interview in London, UK, on April 25, 2023.

Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Design software maker Autodesk said Thursday that it will lay off 1,350 employees, which works out to 9% of its workforce.

The job cuts follow a series of large headcount reductions across the tech industry.

In January, Meta said it would let go of 5% of its workers, and earlier this month Workday, which sells human resources and finance software, announced an 8.5% decrease. Google this week also announced cuts to its human relations and cloud divisions, CNBC reported, and PC maker HP said in a Thursday regulatory filing that it would reduce its headcount by 1,000 or 2,000, representing under 4% of total headcount.

“Our GTM model has evolved significantly from the transition to subscription and multi-year contracts billed annually to self-service enablement, the adoption of direct billing, and more,” Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost wrote in a memo to employees. “These changes position us to better meet the evolving needs of our customers and channel partners. To fully benefit from these changes, we are beginning the transformation of our GTM organization to increase customer satisfaction and Autodesk’s productivity.”

The company is also conducting the layoffs to stay competitive in the current economy and protect the company’s leadership in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, Anagnost wrote.

San Francisco-based Autodesk will make facility reductions as well. But it will not close any offices, a spokesperson told CNBC in an email. It expects $135 million to $150 million in restructuring costs before taxes.

The company on Thursday also announced better-than-expected fiscal fourth-quarter results. The company delivered $2.29 in adjusted earnings per share on $1.64 billion in revenue, which was up 12% year over year. Analysts surveyed by LSEG had been looking for $2.14 per share and $1.63 billion in revenue.

For the fiscal first quarter, Autodesk called for $2.14 to $2.17 in adjusted earnings per share on $1.600 billion to $1.610 billion in revenue. Analysts polled by LSEG had expected $2.08 per share and $1.598 billion in revenue.

Management sees $9.34 to $9.67 in adjusted earnings per share for the 2026 fiscal year, with $6.895 billion to $6.965 billion in revenue. The LSEG consensus was $9.24 per share and $6.902 billion in revenue.

WATCH: The setup on key earnings this week: Salesforce, Autodesk and EOG Resources

The setup on key earnings this week: Salesforce, Autodesk and EOG Resources

Continue Reading

Trending