The AI boom did not prevent Google from increasing its staff by 12,000 specialists
Amid mass layoffs and growing investment in AI at other companies, Google's parent company, Alphabet, is expanding its staff.
Amid mass layoffs and growing investment in AI at other companies, Google's parent company, Alphabet, is expanding its staff.
In its financial report, the company said that between June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2026, it increased its workforce by 11,830 employees — from 187,103 to 198,933, Business Insider reported .
The graph below shows how Alphabet's headcount grew from the end of the first quarter of 2025 to the end of the second quarter of 2026.
Alphabet's staff grew most rapidly in the second quarter of 2026: the company added more than 4,000 employees, which accounted for more than a third of all hiring over the past year.
Companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft have all cut thousands of jobs since 2022. Google, in particular, laid off 12,000 workers in 2023 and has since conducted several smaller waves of layoffs that have affected thousands of employees in total.
While Google did not disclose which positions have seen the most hiring over the past year, in its earnings report on Thursday, the company said it is betting on the long-term development of AI and doubling its investment in expanding this infrastructure.
Recall that the technology giant increased its capital expenditure forecast for 2026 to $195-205 billion compared to the previous estimate of $190 billion . The company said that demand for AI infrastructure continues to exceed its available capacity.
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“The cost of hiring through training is generally more advantageous than simply hiring from the market.” EPAM plans to hire over 700 Juns in 2026
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