Waymo, an autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, has reportedly announced a round of layoffs. The job cuts are said to be a part of the company’s internal restructuring effort.
This is the third round of layoffs at the vehicle company, which recently laid off 200 workers in March 2023. At the time, maximum positions were affected in its engineering department. It was a part of Alphabet’s layoffs, where the company decided to let go of 12,000 employees.
As per the company’s statement, the job cuts were a component of a more extensive organisational restructuring guided by a financially-prudent approach. However, the company did not disclose the precise number of employees affected in this round.
Waymo is a prominent player in the autonomous vehicle industry, founded in 2009 as the Google Self-Driving Car Project. It primarily focuses on developing self-driving technology, revolutionising transportation and making it safer and more convenient.
Furthermore, the company has advanced its autonomous driving capabilities through extensive testing and partnerships, and it provides ride-hailing services in select regions. The company has also been granted permits to operate autonomous vehicles without human drivers in several locations, showcasing its commitment to innovation.
Waymo had previously stated that its autonomous vehicles were solely accessible to employees but would eventually expand to incorporate participants in the company’s ‘Trusted Tester’ initiative. Additionally, the company also intended to launch its pilot programme for driverless rides in San Francisco, for which it got permission from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to charge for self-driving rides.
As per media reports, Waymo had approximately 2,500 employees at the beginning of this year.
