Restructuring at Google: Layoffs affect Python engineering team

Google has made the decision to lay off an entire team of engineers. Specifically, the team composed of developers specialized in the Python programming language.

The Layoffs

A new wave of layoffs has hit Google's ranks. The American company has decided to part ways with one of its engineering teams. Specifically, the one formed by developers specialized in the Python programming language, which until now was based in the United States. Instead, a more cost-effective alternative will be pursued.

And no, that doesn't mean Google will replace its engineers with artificial intelligence (at least, not for now). According to some of the members of the team affected by the layoffs, the company plans to establish a new team of developers in Munich, Germany.

Google is betting on Germany to obtain cheaper labor. The Python team at Google consisted of engineers with over two decades of experience within the company. There were about 10 employees in this team, and some of them have taken the opportunity to share part of their work with the world over the past few years. They explain that, despite being just a few engineers, they have been able to contribute to the development of hundreds of tools and maintain thousands of third-party tools, as well as ensure that all Python code in the company's different projects worked as expected.

Although the total number of employees laid off has not been disclosed, other teams within the company have also been affected, including the Dart and Flutter teams. Some of the affected employees claim that "many great projects have lost people." This new wave of layoffs comes just months after Google decided to cut part of the team responsible for Google Assistant.

The Near Future

Google is said to be planning to establish a new team focused on its Python-based projects in Munich, Germany, where the company would be able to find cheaper labor than what it could obtain until now in the United States.

Furthermore, the company has also notified employees that its intention is to continue with the restructuring process of the company, focusing part of its efforts on hiring employees in other locations outside the United States, mainly Bangalore, Mexico City, and Dublin.

Google has confirmed through a spokesperson to TechCrunch that the layoffs have been carried out "to better position the company" for the remainder of 2024, eliminating middle layers and better aligning available resources with the company's priorities.