Tech Google, Meta, Amazon Hiring H1B Workers After Layoffs

Google submitted applications for jobs like software engineers, analytical consultants, user experience researchers, and more.

Tech Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon layoffs… is this what we heard a while back?

Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon layoffs… Did we hear a while back, you can scroll down on our website we had a HUGE list of tech layoffs in 2022 and beyond..!

Just months or weeks after announcing mass layoffs, big tech companies started hiring foreign workers again, raising questions and attracting criticism. Many tech behemoths, including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, started laying off some of their workforces in the latter part of last year. The same companies may now be willing to hire low-paid foreign workers to fill technical positions, according to a recent report.

Tech Google, Meta, Amazon Hiring H1B Workers After Layoffs

According to data from the US Department of Labour cited in an article by investigative journalist Lee Fang, Google submitted applications for low-paid H1-B workers to fill highly specialized tech positions in the US. Several workers are on H1 B visas.

Google submitted applications for positions like software engineers, analytical consultants, user experience researchers, and more. A Google subsidiary called Waymo which specializes in self-driving cars also requested visa applications for engineering positions. The majority of the visas, many of which were for new hires, had August 17 start dates.

Data from the Department of Labour showed that companies like Meta Platforms, Amazon, Zoom, Salesforce, and Microsoft had requested thousands of H1-B foreign worker visas. These companies have recently undergone significant layoffs. 

The recent hirings bring to light the irony that the US layoffs have directly impacted thousands of H1-B visa holders, including those from India. Following their termination, these workers either lost or will soon lose their ability to remain in the US. On the other hand, numerous fresh H1-B candidates are getting job offers from the same business. 

In response to the shrinking US tech sector, CEO Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, declared it the “year of efficiency” and laid off 21,000 employees quickly. In January, Google let go 12,000 workers, and Amazon let go about 27,000 workers throughout two rounds of layoffs.

In January, Microsoft revealed a nearly 5% global workforce reduction or the loss of 10,000 jobs. CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that the company would continue hiring in critical strategic areas despite the job cuts.