Nearly 1,700 California tech workers face job cuts as four companies announce fresh layoffs, deepening a brutal year of downsizing across the industry. Every one of these firms had already trimmed payrolls within the past 13 months.
The sector keeps shedding jobs despite broader economic resilience. San Francisco and San Mateo County alone lost 10,000 positions in September, though unemployment dipped to 3% as discouraged workers left the labor force.
Google filed state paperwork showing 75 recruiting staffers will lose jobs at its Fremont Street offices in San Francisco between late October and late November. Earlier this year, the search giant eliminated 12,000 roles.
Informatica, a Redwood City cloud data firm, said it would cut roughly 545 positions, or 10% of staff. The move saves about $70 million in 2024 but triggers up to $45 million in one-time costs. In January, the company had already shed 450 jobs. Quarterly revenue rose 10% to $408.6 million while net income swung to a $79.2 million profit from a $15.6 million loss a year earlier.
Viasat, based in Carlsbad, announced 800 layoffs, also 10% of its workforce. The satellite communications company is consolidating after purchasing Inmarsat in May. It previously cut 300 workers in April. Executives project annual savings of $100 million starting fiscal 2025.
Meanwhile, San Francisco-based Splunk confirmed 537 layoffs, about 7% of staff, as Cisco moves toward a $28 billion acquisition. Splunk had trimmed 325 jobs earlier.
Recruiters, engineers, and support staff now face a tightening job market where openings have shrunk considerably from pandemic highs. As cost-cutting spreads across both legacy firms and high-flying startups, more consolidation appears likely before stability returns.
