Google announces layoffs in its HR, cloud units as part of ongoing cost cuts

Google told staffers in its "People Operations" and cloud organizations this week that it plans to cut employees as 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 Tuesday by HR chief Fiona Cicconi 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 on Feb. 3 reported revenue that missed expectations for the fourth quarter, Ashkenazi said Google had strong demand for AI products and that it "exited the year with more demand than we had available capacity." As part of the HR 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 ... Read full article.