Google Axes 100, Cuts Back Catalog Search Offering

Google Inc. is closing three engineering offices and laying off 100 recruiters from its work force, Alan Eustace, senior vice president, engineering and research, said in a company blog.

According to news reports, these layoffs account for less than 1% of the Mountain View, CA search engine giant’s 20,100 total.

Separately, Google is looking to trim the fat from its global operations, specifically such as Google Catalog Search, Google Video and Google Notebook. While not shutting them down, the firm will reportedly stop writing new software and developing those business areas and just maintain them as they currently exist.

The change also means no new content can be uploaded to Google Video, though all existing content will remain and be searchable as always. Google Catalog Search is an application that makes it possible to search the full text of product catalogs. Google Notebook lets users organize clips of information when conducting research online.