Social media platform LinkedIn cuts 700 jobs, shuts China app

The job cuts are the latest layoffs to hit the tech sector in recent months, following losses at Google, Meta and Amazon.

LinkedIn, the social media platform for professional connections, has announced plans to cut more than 700 jobs and close its app to job seekers in China.

In a letter to employees on Monday, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky said the company would cut 716 jobs and scrap its job search app in China in response to slowing revenue growth and changing customer behavior.

“In an evolving market, we must have a constant conviction to adjust our strategy to make our vision a reality,” said Roslansky.

Roslansky said the changes include creating 250 new roles and integrating some teams, as well as reducing managerial roles and broadening responsibilities “to make decisions faster.”

“As we turn 20, we’re entering a new decade for LinkedIn, one that may be the most profound we’ve experienced to date,” he said.

“AI is just beginning to accelerate changes in the global economy and job market, and LinkedIn is more important than ever in helping our members and customers navigate the changes to access economic opportunities.”

The job cuts are the latest layoffs to hit the tech sector in recent months, following the layoffs of more than 100,000 workers at Google, Amazon, Meta, Twitter and Microsoft.

LinkedIn shut down most of its services in China in 2021, citing the increasing difficulty of complying with the Chinese government’s regulatory requirements.

The company launched the stripped-down job search app called InJobs in the country later that year.

LinkedIn, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., will maintain a presence in China to help companies hire and train employees, the Reuters news agency reported, citing a company spokesperson.

As the only major Western social media site operating in China, LinkedIn has been criticized for participating in Chinese censorship, including blacklisting journalists critical of Beijing.

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