Google lays off 100+ staff from cloud design and research teams

Google has laid off more than 100 employees in design-related roles this week, CNBC reported.

According to CNBC, the job cuts affected the cloud division’s “quantitative user experience research” and “platform and service experience” teams, as well as other departments. These groups focused on analysing user behaviour to inform product design. The report said some cloud design teams were reduced by nearly half, with many of the affected roles based in the United States. Employees impacted by the decision have until early December to apply for alternative positions within Google.

The layoffs are part of Google’s wider restructuring to prioritise artificial intelligence. The company has been moving resources into AI infrastructure and products. Wired reported in September that more than 200 contractors working on projects such as the Gemini model and AI Overviews search feature were also laid off. The Wired report noted that some of those cuts were linked by employees to concerns over pay, job security and staff protests.

The job losses in design are not isolated. Earlier this year, Google reduced headcount in its cloud business, saying in a statement that the changes were intended to “focus on areas critical to our business and ensure our long-term success,” Reuters reported.

According to Reuters, Google confirmed it was making “small changes” across multiple teams to improve collaboration and customer service. Those adjustments have included reductions in its global business organisation and in the Platforms & Devices unit, which oversees hardware and software.

Since January 2025, Google has also offered voluntary exit packages to staff in human resources, hardware, search, ads, marketing, finance and commerce, Reuters reported.

In addition to workforce cuts, Google has been reducing management roles. CNBC reported that the company has eliminated more than one-third of middle management positions, particularly among supervisors of small teams.

Executives have said the aim is to streamline decision-making and reallocate resources to areas that support AI development.

Despite the restructuring, Google remains one of the largest employers in the global technology sector. A regulatory filing in February showed the company employed 183,323 people at the end of December 2024.