A New Slew of Tech Layoffs Reminds Us that No Lead Is Ever Safe

By many indications, things are going well for the tech industry. Mobile and cloud services are taking off. Apple, the comeback story of the century, is insanely profitable. Facebook is a public company, never mind its stock slide.

So why the heck is HP slicing 27,000 jobs? Why are promising startups slashing headcount or going belly-up? That’s just the way it is.

First, a quick review of recent – and upcoming – carnage.

• Research In Motion, the BlackBerry maker that thought it was flying high just a couple of years ago, warned today it would make “significant spending reductions and headcount reductions in some areas throughout the remainder of the fiscal year,” although it will be staffing up in other areas. This comes as RIM has lost market share in the fast-growing smartphone market and now expects to lose money this quarter.
• HP, the tech stalwart, said last week it would cut 27,000 jobs, or 8% of its workforce. CEO Meg Whitman said the layoffs were “absolutely critical for the long-term health of the company.” HP has suffered as its large PC and printing businesses slow down, and because of management turmoil.
• Google, whose $12.5 billion Motorola purchase just closed, could potentially lay off thousands of Motorola employees. Motorola, a mobile pioneer, did OK in its sale to Google but has largely been a failure since the Razr peaked – which was in the middle of