Google slow hires to fill 200+ jobs in UK post Area 120 fiasco

Internet giant Google has been making waves by changing its focus with their passion project called Area 120. The constant changing and churning has resulted in half of the internal group project's workforce to wind down. Yet if various sources are to be believed, Google may soon 'unfreeze' their hiring to balance their staff out.

Google's branch in Durham, in the north-east of England, is looking to fill 200+ jobs in their cloud business, WRAL.com reported. 

“We’re proud to have exceeded our hiring goals in Durham and look forward to continued growth,”  Google said in a statement. 

The internet firm maintains a large presence in Durham, with Google Cloud employees working in the Tyneside region, following the company’s selection of the site for an engineering hub last year, that could eventually house 1,000 workers.

The slow hiring move will seem to offset Google's recent manouvres with Area 120, though there are no massive layoffs planned. 

"The focus of staffing up the enginerring hub in Durham will remain a priority," added the company's statement.  

Google had told its Area 120 staff that there would be a “reduction in force", TechCrunch reported.

"As Sundar announced in July, we’re slowing our hiring and sharpening our focus as a company, but we remain focused on hiring engineering, technical and other critical roles. We continue to look for ways we can increase our productivity and ensure we’re focused on our long-term priorities. As a result, Area 120 is winding down several projects to make way for new work. Impacted team members will receive dedicated support as they explore new projects and opportunities at Google," the statement added.

The movements may lead people to believe that a massive layoff is on the horizon post the slow hiring.

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