Google let go of a significant number of employees across different teams. (Representational)
As many as 21,473 employees from 50 companies in the technology sector were laid off in April 2024 alone, according to latest data published by layoffs.fyi. The April job cuts follow the ongoing trend of layoffs in 2024, with at least 271 companies letting go 78,572 employees this year, according to the platform, which has tracked tech layoffs since the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down.
In January, there were 34,107 job cuts across 122 companies, followed by 15,589 layoffs in February by 78 companies, and 7,403 job losses in March by 37 companies. While March witnessed a slight decrease in layoffs, April saw a significant rise.
Tech Layoffs in April
Apple
Apple recently laid off 614 employees in what was its first major round of job cuts since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these employees were part of Apple’s special projects group, with some working on a project related to self-driving cars that got cancelled. There might be even more layoffs, including from overseas locations.
Google let go of a significant number of employees across different teams, including those working on Python, Flutter, and Dart. This was part of a company restructuring, but the affected employees have the chance to apply for other jobs within Google and in other locations. They also had to let go of some employees in departments like real estate and finance as they tried to reduce costs.
Amazon
Hundreds of jobs were cut in Amazon’s cloud computing division, affecting teams dealing with sales, marketing, and technology for physical stores. This move is part of Amazon’s effort to focus more on its main goals and streamline its operations.
Intel
Intel let go about 62 employees at its headquarters, particularly from the sales and marketing department, as they were dealing with some reorganisation led by Christoph Schell.
Byju’s
Due to financial issues and unrest among investors, Byju’s, an edtech company, had to lay off about 500 employees. This includes people from sales, marketing, and teaching roles.
Tesla
Tesla, Elon Musk’s electric motor company, had to let go of thousands of employees across different departments. This was to reduce their overall workforce by about 10% as they faced challenges in sales and competition.
OLA Cabs
OLA Cabs cut around 200 jobs, which is about 10% of its workforce, and its CEO Hemant Bakshi resigned. The co-founder is taking over daily operations now.
Healthifyme
Healthifyme, a health tech startup, laid off about 150 employees, mainly from sales and product teams. They are restructuring to focus on profits and expanding into the US market.
Whirlpool
Whirlpool, a company that makes home appliances, let go about 1,000 employees worldwide to save money.
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive, the company behind GTA 6, had to let go of around 5% of its workforce and cancel some projects.
Telenor
Telenor, a telecom company in Norway, laid off 100 employees and also plans to close a call centre as part of their restructuring efforts.