The layoffs announced by Google’s parent company on Friday represent about six per cent of its global workforce. (The Logic, Reuters)

Talking point: Google “hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today,” CEO Sundar Pichai said in a staff memo, adding that the cuts will be felt across many parts of the company. The layoffs come at a critical time for Alphabet, which faces intensifying competition in artificial intelligence, reportedly prompting it to call in co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin for help. When asked whether the layoffs will affect its Canadian staff, Google referred to its company announcement. It’s the latest company to add to a wave of tech layoffs, following Microsoft’s decision to shed 10,000 jobs, as well as thousands of tech roles cut from other companies like Wayfair, Capital One, Lightspeed and Clearco. Alphabet’s announcement has made January the month with the most tech sector layoffs over the last 12 months, according to website layoffs.fyi.