Google lays off hundreds in hardware, augmented reality and Assistant divisions

Google has laid off hundreds of employees working on its hardware, voice assistance and engineering teams as part of cost-cutting measures. The cuts come as Google looks towards "responsibly investing in our company's biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead", the company said in a statement. "Some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally," it said. Google earlier said it was eliminating a few hundred roles across engineering, hardware and the Assistant teams, though most of the impact hit the company's augmented reality hardware division. The cuts follow pledges by executives of Google and its parent company, Alphabet, to reduce costs.