Simply when the worst gave the impression to be over, the doom and gloom from the previous two years adopted us into 2024, with companies resembling Google and Amazon laying off a whole lot of staff.
Within the tech business itself, over 10,000 staff have been retrenched from 63 companies this yr, excluding FMCG giants like Unilever. Here’s a complete checklist of the numerous layoffs reverberating via Singapore’s workforce this yr.
1. Lazada
Initially of the yr, Lazada axed at the very least 100 of its workers in Singapore throughout varied departments, including its logistics staff. Some departments even had a majority of their headcount retrenched, with one having its manpower lowered from 20 to 30 individuals to 4 or 5 remaining staff.
An undisclosed variety of staff have additionally been retrenched from its regional places of work in international locations including Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Based on sources near the matter, the e-commerce big is anticipated to let go as much as 30 per cent of its complete headcount of 8,000 to 10,000 workers.
This spherical of layoffs got here unexpectedly for individuals who have been retrenched, with some citing the corporate’s lack of transparency inflicting massive quantities of hysteria and uncertainty amongst present staff.
Following experiences of the layoff, the Nationwide Trades Union Congress (NTUC) in Singapore issued a press release expressing “deep disappointment” about Lazada’s retrenchment train, which was carried out with out prior session with the Meals, Drinks and Allied Staff Union (FDAWU) although the Singapore-headquartered agency is unionised underneath FDAWU.
The FDAWU is presently negotiating with Lazada for higher advantages for its laid-off staff, who had been instructed that they might solely obtain two weeks’ wage for yearly of service. The retrenched workers are additionally sure by a 12-month non-compete clause protecting an in depth checklist of tech, retail and logistics companies, including Seize, TikTok and Amazon.
2. Google and YouTube
On January 11, Google eradicated over 1,000 of its workers in its Voice Assistant models, {hardware} groups liable for Pixel, Nest and Fitbit, promoting gross sales staff, in addition to its augmented actuality staff. The firm additionally confirmed that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman had been leaving the organisation.
Every week after the information broke, Google reportedly minimize one other 100 jobs from its video platform, YouTube. Following the. bulletins of the layoffs, the tech big’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, instructed his staff to anticipate extra job cuts this yr in an inner memo seen by The Verge on January 17.
Based on Pichai, the most recent spherical of layoffs targeted on “eradicating layers to simplify execution and drive velocity in some areas.” The corporate is wanting in the direction of “responsibly investing in its largest priorities and the numerous alternatives forward. “
Nonetheless, the CEO provides that these function eliminations won’t be on the scale of its earlier layoffs, the place Google eradicated over 12,000 roles, or about 6 per cent of its workforce, at first of 2023, including 190 staff from the Singapore workplace.
It’s unclear what number of workers from its Singapore workplace had been affected by the latest spherical of layoffs; nevertheless, the Nationwide Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has contacted Google to supply help to the affected staff, including placement and networking help.
3. Amazon and Twitch
American tech big Amazon introduced on January 10 that it will be laying off a number of hundred staff throughout its streaming and studio operations.
Based on an e mail despatched by Mike Hopkins, the Senior Vice President at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, the layoffs come because the e-commerce big seems to “improve funding and give attention to content material and product initiatives that ship essentially the most influence” for the enterprise’s long-term success.
As a part of its technique, Prime Video can be revamping its content material technique in Southeast Asia from a mannequin based mostly on unique productions to 1 targeted on licensing.
In an inner word seen by Selection, the corporate will reportedly lower its investments in the area, and transfer in the direction of to a leaner native working mannequin to help Southeast Asian territories. On account of these modifications, the e-commerce big has eradicated “some roles” inside its Singapore-based Southeast Asian staff.
Amazon’s announcement of the layoffs got here the identical day because the live-streaming platform and the subsidiary of the e-commerce big, Twitch, disclosed that it will lay off about 35 per cent of its workforce, or about 500 staff, throughout varied places, including Singapore.
Twitch, acquired by Amazon in 2014 for practically US$1 billion, has failed to show worthwhile since then and can shutter its South Korea operations in February as a consequence of excessive working prices and community charges.
Twitch beforehand laid off greater than 400 staff in March 2023, simply after its longtime CEO Emmett Shear departed the corporate after 16 years. In the meantime, Amazon laid off greater than 27,000 staff in 2023, including its Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios staff.
4. Riot Video games
Tencent Holdings’ Riot Video games introduced on January 22 that it will be laying off 530 staff, or about 11 per cent of its workers globally, with its groups exterior of core growth seeing the most important influence.
In a weblog publish that included a letter to staff from CEO Dylan Jadeja, the League of Legends producer acknowledged that it “had made various huge bets throughout the corporate” since 2019, inflicting its prices to “develop to the purpose the place they are unsustainable”.
During the last a number of years, the corporate has introduced in new expertise, expanded its international footprint, and altered its working mannequin to match its ambitions, which finally greater than doubled its headcount.
Riot Video games’ workplace in Singapore doubles down as its Asia-Pacific Headquarters, and is one in every of its largest places of work in the world, using over 180 workers. It’s unclear what number of Singapore staff have been affected by the layoff.
Tencent Holdings first purchased a majority stake in Riot Video games in February 2011, and totally acquired the video video games agency by buying the remaining fairness in 2015.
5. Unilever
On January 18, Marketing campaign revealed that Unilever would perform a slew of layoffs and function reorganisations throughout its groups in Singapore. The FMCG big first introduced the layoffs to affected workers in December 2023 to permit present them with “ample discover and transparency”.
The retrenchment and restructuring workout routines can be “wide-reaching”, with the advertising groups in its private care manufacturers, including Dove, Lux and Lifeboy, seeing the most important influence.
Based on Unilever, it’ll relocate a few of its private care roles which are presently based mostly in Singapore to its lead markets in Asia. A number of roles will stay in Singapore, nevertheless, some roles will not be required. The corporate declined to reveal the variety of impacted workers.
In October 2023, the brand new CEO of Unilever, Hein Schumacher, who was appointed again in June, laid out a brand new technique to streamline its operations and obtain increased development as the corporate had underperformed in latest years.
Following the announcement, Unilever revealed in November that it will retrench 169 staff at its New York warehouses, efficient April 2024, as a part of the corporate’s restructuring in its magnificence and private care product manufacturing.
Previous to the latest slew of layoffs, the FMCG big minimize about 1,500 administration jobs globally in 2022 because it appeared to spice up its development after a failed acquisition try. Unilever’s rejected proposal to accumulate shopper healthcare enterprise GSK for US$67 billion was extensively criticised by traders as being a pricey and dangerous distraction from coping with urgent challenges to the enterprise, resembling inflation in rising markets and weak spot in wholesome meals.
Featured Picture Credit score: Getty/ Twitch/ Workplace Snapshots