Google layoffs

John Battelle reports that Google Lays Off Real Googlers. In fact, 100 people will be laid off from the HR (From Google Blog: Changes to recruiting). Then some of the small engineering sites will be closed to have more concentrated development sites (From Google Blog: Changes to engineering). Then, some products will be discountinued, from the Search Engine Land Blog Google Ends Google Video Uploads, Shutters Notebook, Catalog Search, Dodgeball & Jaiku. All of this makes perfectly sense, especially in the particular moment we are in. Motorola for example has announced other 4000 workers in addition to the 3000 laid off last October (NYT: Motorola Plans 4,000 More Job Cuts in 2009).  Motorola has slashed 50% of its workforce in the mobile phone division and now focuses on the Google Android platorm.

As Battelle has written, when Google catches a cold, it’s a sure bet a lot of other companies have pneumonia, or worse. However, as in all the economic cycles, there are downturns followed by upturns and the situation will get better.

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