Google has removed offers from more than 2,000 contract workers and temporary workers in an effort to cut new revenue as the epidemic continues to reduce ad revenue, according to the New York Times. Ruth Porat, chief financial officer at Google, said last month that the company would reduce the pace of employment this year “because we are facing a global crisis of depth and uncertainty.”
The 2,000 contract positions would be available across the globe, according to the Times, and represent a small portion of Google’s workforce. The company reportedly has more than 130,000 contractors over 123,000 employees.
However, it speaks to the huge decline in Porat’s employment last month. The epidemic has caused a decline in the advertising market, which is where Google made most of its money. Revenue from advertising was growing year by year in Google’s first quarter, but growth was slow.
This rescue presents major problems for the unemployed. The Times reports that some people have left full-time positions to accept contract jobs with Google. Because they voluntarily resigned, they may not be eligible for unemployment benefits.
“As we have shown publicly, we are slowing down our pace of recruitment and investment, and as a result it is not bringing as many young people – full-time and part-time – as planned earlier this year,” a Google spokesperson told the Times.