Google Cuts Jobs, But Acquisitions Ahead

Google submitted a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month that has just recently come to light. The reason for this delay is perhaps that it was filed via paper-only.

As Frank Reed notes, “This practice avoids the online aggregators of these public records from being able to post the filing through their normal channels. I suspect these folks will have it sooner than later but the intentionality of Google providing the filing this way is curious. Trying to fly under the radar? Who knows.”

So what does the filing contain?

Sources say that Google reports that it has 24,400 employees, 4,300 of which are interns, temps, and contractors. This is far less than than Google co-founder Sergey Brin said a few months ago. The number then for these types of workers was more like 10,000. Though Brin did note that some job cuts were on the way in this area.

Google Spokeswoman Jane Penner says that the number doesn’t necessarily reflect the total number of people cut by Google. I guess that means that some of them just quit.

Either way, it hardly sounds like downsizing, as Google also says that it plans to continue spending money on research and development as well as acquisitions “at a pace consistent with the past two years.”

Hmm. I wonder what acquisitions are in store for this year.