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REPORTED · NEWSPublished Jul 9, 2026

Google lays off experimental-project software engineer in January 2023

SOURCENews reportView the filing ↗

EMPLOYEES AFFECTED
1
EFFECTIVE DATE
Jan 1, 2023

What we know

Location: California, USA.

Department affected: experimental project team.

Based on news reporting.

Summary

The article recounts that Gu Yichen, a software engineer on an experimental project at Google, received a layoff notice in January 2023 shortly after starting work and before doing substantive work on the shelved project. The layoff was part of Google cost-cutting measures that prioritized mature products and essential teams over exploratory projects. The notice left Gu with only a 60-day H-1B grace period to find a new sponsor, prompting him to return to China temporarily before rejoining Amazon where he could continue his H-1B petition. The experience shaped his views on job security, visas and career timing.

Google cut 1 jobs in CA affecting its experimental project team team as of January 1, 2023.

LayoffTalk has tracked 56 layoff events at Google since December 2022, including 1,758 jobs documented in official WARN filings, with 32 additional events known from news reporting.

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SOURCE
News reporting
View original source ↗
G
Google
56
EVENTS TRACKED
1,758
JOBS IN WARN FILINGS
View company profile

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CREATED JUL 10, 2026LAST UPDATED JUL 29, 2026