The Breithaupt Block Phase III | 11 fl | U/C

[tomh009]

@ Faire...how many?

7% of 1200, so about 85 people.

D2L about 5% of (also) 1200, so about 60 people.

https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-...yoffs.html

[nms]

With luck, some of those who are laid off have a project kicking around the back of their brain that they didn't want to do while they had a full-time job. In some ways, I suspect Waterloo Region's most recent tech renaissance came after RIM/Blackberry shrank.

[taylortbb]

With luck, some of those who are laid off have a project kicking around the back of their brain that they didn't want to do while they had a full-time job.  In some ways, I suspect Waterloo Region's most recent tech renaissance came after RIM/Blackberry shrank.

For sure. At the time the downfall of BlackBerry seemed like a disaster for KW tech, but in reality it was probably one of the best things to happen. It lead to a number of startups, and created room for a number of other major players to ramp up their hiring. We now have a much larger, more diverse, and more stable tech sector.

Also, for those laid off, there's still other tech companies that are hiring locally. I'm doing more interviews than ever at work as my employer moves to take advantage of hiring getting a little less competitive (and we already offered top tier compensation).

[tomh009]

Also, for those laid off, there's still other tech companies that are hiring locally. I'm doing more interviews than ever at work as my employer moves to take advantage of hiring getting a little less competitive (and we already offered top tier compensation).

Exactly. There are still lots of companies hiring, so things really should not be grim for (most of the) tech people being laid off.

[Momo26]

12,000 Google layoffs announced. First round.

Curious how many would-be hybrid Kitchener jobs. Google has a big footprint in DTK...

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/20/google-t...-says.html

[KevinL]

12,000 Google layoffs announced. First round.

Curious how many would-be hybrid Kitchener jobs. Google has a big footprint in DTK...

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/20/google-t...-says.html

the slew of major U.S. tech companies cutting jobs amid fears of an oncoming recession

Well, that's one way to ensure we GET a recession. 

[nms]

On the other hand, didn't Waterloo Region's latest tech wave start when RIM/BlackBerry laid off a bunch of staff circa 2010 who now had time on their hands (along with severance money) to finally launch that product that was sitting in their back pocket? Launching a tech start-up isn't necessarily has capital and/or land intensive as starting something like a blast furnace or a car company.

[tomh009]

On the other hand, didn't Waterloo Region's latest tech wave start when RIM/BlackBerry laid off a bunch of staff circa 2010 who now had time on their hands (along with severance money) to finally launch that product that was sitting in their back pocket?  Launching a tech start-up isn't necessarily has capital and/or land intensive as starting something like a blast furnace or a car company.

100% correct.

[CP42]

Google cuts hit Kitchener office - about 300 people told they are losing their jobs at engineering headquarters

https://archive.ph/q6u1T

[Momo26]

Just seen that. Another blow to DTK but ofc in keeping with BigTech trends since q4 of 2022.

Did Google Kitchener ask their folks to come back in office a certain min. days/week?

[plam]

Just seen that. Another blow to DTK but ofc in keeping with BigTech trends since q4 of 2022.

Did Google Kitchener ask their folks to come back in office a certain min. days/week?

What a friend working for Amazon in Seattle was telling me was that, from what he saw, Big Tech was like "oh, never mind about coming in to the office." "Also, we're going to do layoffs now". (while we also do stock buybacks).

[Momo26]

Yep. Sounds about right @ usual big company cycles. The amount of posts one can find on Twitter and LinkedIn nowadays about being laid off is staggering! Mass layoffs have always happened but seeing so many posts about em feels different heh. Lots of these folks have massive networks.

[tomh009]

Just seen that. Another blow to DTK but ofc in keeping with BigTech trends since q4 of 2022.

A far smaller impact than the BlackBerry implosion of bygone days. 300 tech people will find new obs fairly quickly -- though not necessarily at the Google compensation levels.

[ac3r]

They probably shouldn't have wasted time building Stadia. That trash was bound to fail.

[CP42]

The new breithaupt block parking garage has some exterior cladding and google colours on it now