YouTube, Google's video platform, confirmed to TechCrunch on Wednesday that it is implementing a "voluntary severance program" for its U.S. employees, offering severance pay. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan informed employees of the plan via an internal memo, while also announcing a major restructuring of its product teams.
According to the memo, YouTube's product teams will be consolidated into three independent departments, all reporting directly to Mohan. The "Subscription Products" team will focus on subscription services such as YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, and OTT; the "Viewer Products" team will be responsible for the main app, YouTube Kids, learning features, and user experience aspects such as trust and security; and the "Creator & Community Products" department aims to support content creators and strengthen the community ecosystem. The company emphasized that this restructuring will not result in any job cuts, but rather improve operational efficiency through structural optimization.
This move coincides with Alphabet's release of its third-quarter earnings report. The report showed that YouTube's advertising revenue reached $10.26 billion (approximately RMB 72.832 billion) this quarter, a year-on-year increase of 15%, demonstrating the robust growth of its core business. Despite improving revenue, YouTube is still pushing forward with organizational restructuring, reflecting its emphasis on long-term strategic planning. Analysts believe the restructuring may aim to further consolidate resources to cope with streaming competition and fluctuations in the advertising market.
