Here are some of the most notable cases of tech layoffs in 2023
The tech industry is facing a wave of layoffs as companies struggle to cope with the challenges and uncertainties of the post-pandemic world. Several tech giants and startups have announced fresh rounds of job cuts in the past few weeks, affecting thousands of employees across various roles and functions.
Google: The search giant laid off some of its staff from a team that manages complaints from users of its customer services, such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Play. The layoffs reportedly affected about 150 employees, mostly in the U.S. and India. Google said the move was part of its ongoing efforts to streamline its operations and improve its user experience.
Amazon: The e-commerce giant initiated job cuts in its music division, Amazon Music. The layoffs impacted about 180 roles, mainly in the U.S. and Europe. Amazon said the decision was based on its long-term vision and strategy for the music business, and that it would continue to invest in new features and content for its customers.
Snap: The social media company behind Snapchat laid off close to 20 workers from its product team, which is responsible for developing new features and innovations for the app. The layoffs were part of a broader restructuring of the product team, which has grown significantly in the past year. Snap said the changes were aimed at improving its efficiency and agility, and that it would support the affected employees with severance packages and outplacement services.
Zillow: The online real estate platform announced that it would shut down its home-buying business, Zillow Offers, and lay off about 25% of its workforce, or 2,000 employees. Zillow Offers allowed homeowners to sell their homes directly to Zillow, without the hassle of listing, staging, or showing. However, the business proved to be too risky and costly for Zillow, as it faced volatile market conditions and inventory challenges. Zillow said the move was necessary to focus on its core mission and vision, and that it would provide generous severance and benefits to the affected employees.
Twilio: The cloud communications platform cut about 300 jobs, or 6% of its workforce, as part of a reorganization of its engineering and product teams. Twilio said the layoffs were intended to align its resources with its strategic priorities and growth opportunities, and that it would offer transition assistance and severance to the impacted employees.
Spotify: The music streaming service laid off about 200 employees, or 4% of its workforce, across its global offices. Spotify said the layoffs were part of its ongoing efforts to optimize its organizational structure and streamline its operations, and that it would provide support and guidance to the affected employees.
Bending Spoons: The Italian app developer behind popular apps such as 30 Day Fitness, Mondly, and PicsArt, announced that it would reduce its headcount by 40%, or 200 employees, due to a decline in its app revenue and downloads. Bending Spoons said the layoffs were a difficult but necessary decision to ensure its long-term sustainability and competitiveness, and that it would offer generous severance packages and career coaching to the impacted employees.
