The power dynamics behind tech job cuts

Jeff Bezos makes rare visit to Washington Post | 'The good old days are gone' ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Experience Smartsheet ENGAGE 2022 with GeekWire Studios: [Watch multiple interviews and partner profiles here!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES One of the defining tech industry trends of the past decade, along with the meteoric expansion of big companies and their insatiable appetite for talent, was the growing influence of engineers who commanded ever-increasing salaries. - That power dynamic is changing with the waves of layoffs by Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, and other major tech companies. Recruiters say the cutbacks are already impacting salary expectations when workers start new jobs. - "Here’s my theory: This is a grab by the tech companies to re-establish their power,” says GeekWire co-founder John Cook on this week’s episode of the GeekWire Podcast. - [Listen to the episode here]( or subscribe to GeekWire in [Apple Podcasts]( [Spotify]( [Google Podcasts]( or wherever you listen. Meanwhile, the job losses continue across the tech industry. - On Friday alone, we reported on layoffs that hit health software provider [Edifecs]( technical recruiting startup [Karat]( and tax software giant [Avalara](. - Google parent Alphabet [is laying off 12,000 workers]( about 6% of its global workforce. - If the cuts at Amazon and Microsoft are the leading edge of a bigger pullback, it will have a “huge impact, both materially and psychologically,” on the Seattle tech ecosystem, [says Margaret O’Mara]( a tech historian, author and University of Washington professor. - But in the long-term, tech will continue to grow, and Washington state is well positioned to take advantage, [writes Ed Lazowska]( a professor at the UW's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “The good old days are gone.” - That was Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, speaking in Washington D.C. at a Brookings Institution event about leading cities in the face of pandemic-driven trends including the rise of remote work. Harrell said re-thinking the role of downtowns is the “greatest opportunity” for mayors across the country. [Read more](. Jeff Bezos made news this week with a rare visit to the newspaper that he owns. - The Amazon founder attended a news meeting at The Washington Post on Thursday, sparking speculation — and plenty of coverage in competing media — about why he might be there. [Read more](. Exterro and Zapproved, two legal tech companies based in Oregon, are combining. - Exterro, which is eyeing an IPO, [acquired Zapproved]( a Portland startup founded in 2008 that ranked No. 92 on the [GeekWire 200]( our list of top privately-held tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [GeekWire Studios at Smartsheet ENGAGE 2022]( Experience Smartsheet ENGAGE 2022 with GeekWire Studios, including multiple interviews and partner profiles. [Watch here!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Moonstone Bank, the Washington state bank with ties to FTX, will wind down crypto operations]( [The power dynamics behind tech job cuts: How layoffs are changing the realities of the past decade]( [Seattle technical interviewing startup Karat cuts 47 employees, citing need to invest in growth]( [Jeff Bezos makes rare visit to Washington Post as newspaper plans more layoffs]( [Exterro acquires Zapproved, combining two Oregon-based legal tech companies]( [Commentary: Washington state’s tech industry will continue to grow, despite layoffs]( [Tax software giant Avalara reportedly lays off workers]( [Edifecs lays off 30 employees in the U.S.]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Remitly: Senior Software Engineer, Fraud Prevention]( - [MedBridge: Software Engineer III (Back end)]( - [Remitly: Engineering Manager, Lending]( - [MovingWorlds: Senior Fullstack Engineer for Scaling Social Enterprise]( - [Remitly: Senior Mobile Software Development Engineer – B2B Platform (Seattle or U.S. Remote)]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2023 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](