James GleickJan 21, 2023

I’m having trouble understanding the reason for these massive tech layoffs. Twitter—sure. Meta? OK, bad bet on “metaverse” and social network in decline. But what has suddenly changed for Google and Amazon?

One possible explanation here: https://news.stanford.edu/2022/12/05/explains-recent-tech-layoffs-worried/

What explains recent tech layoffs, and why should we be worried? | Stanford News

As layoffs in the tech sector mount, Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer is worried. Research – by him, and others – has shown that the stress layoffs create takes a devastating toll on behavioral and physical health and increases mortality and morbidity substantially. Layoffs literally kill people, he said.

Stanford News
Show threadThomas Vander Wal

@JamesGleick One of the Google areas cut was ad sales, which was a sizable group that had difficulty hiring enough people in, so moving out outsoursing that opperation. Another area cut was many experimental projects and support related to them.

The cross company cuts beyond that are more troubling as that often is cutting just to cut, which is most disruptive.

Jan 21, 2023 at 3:53pmMetatext
Show threadParanoid FactoidJan 21, 2023

@vanderwal @JamesGleick

Google is no longer fit to provide service anyway. Let the company die.