Google is endeavouring to cut costs and focus on using artificial intelligence (AI). As part of this exercise, YouTube, its video platform has laid off 100 employees from its operations and creator-management teams who help the millions of content creators on YouTube. This is in addition to the over thousand jobs axed last week at Google.
Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, has conveyed that the employees should brace for more job cuts in 2024.
As per a report by The Verge, Pichai has indicated in a memo that Google will focus on “removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity” in certain areas. He also clarified that the scale of job cuts will not be the same as that of last year, nor will it impact all teams.
YouTube’s workforce was about 7,137 strong before the latest cuts. Employees were informed of the cuts by Mary Ellen Coe, chief business officer, YouTube, via an e-mail.
Over the last one year, the ads slump has affected YouTube’s finances. Additionally, it has received strong competition from TikTok, the short-video service that youngsters widely use across the globe.
This has prompted the parent company, Google to seek out ways to cut costs.
Last week’s layoff announcement impacted jobs in Google Assistant, that is, Google’s voice-operated product; its core-engineering division; and also across its augmented reality (AR) projects. Organisational changes have been going on at Google for some time now as part of which many roles have been done away with, worldwide.
YouTube plans to make meaningful investments in bigger priorities and better opportunities.
