Over 700 workers rendered jobless as Chinese officials pull the plug on LinkedIn App media platform. A truly perplexing move that leaves us scratching our heads in bewilderment.
The shocking news out of Beijing, China, is that the all-powerful Chinese authority has forced LinkedIn, the acclaimed social media platform for professional connections, to shut down, causing over 700 people to be jobless. The sluggish revenue growth, unpredictable business environment, and changes in customer behavior led LinkedIn to make the difficult decision to close shop.
In a letter to employees, LinkedIn Chief Executive Ryan Roslansky divulged that the company would lay off 716 employees and eliminate its job-hunting app in China to adapt to the evolving market. “Adapt or die,” as they say. These necessary changes will bring the creation of 250 new roles, the integration of some teams, and the reduction of management roles while expanding responsibilities to make decision-making more efficient.
As LinkedIn turns 20 and enters a new decade, Roslansky noted that artificial intelligence will catalyze global economic and labor market changes, making LinkedIn more essential than ever for its members and customers.
The tech sector has been experiencing a wave of layoffs, with more than 100,000 employees at Google, Amazon, Meta, Twitter, and Microsoft losing their jobs. LinkedIn closed most of its services in China in 2021, citing the growing difficulties of complying with the Chinese government’s regulatory demands. Later that year, the company launched the stripped-down job-hunting app called InJobs in an effort to retain a presence in China to help companies train and hire their employees.
However, as the only significant Western social media site operating in China, LinkedIn faced criticisms for cooperating with Chinese censorship, including blacklisting journalists critical of Beijing.
It’s a confusing and bewildering situation, but LinkedIn is still determined to rise above the challenges and provide its services to its members and customers despite the unexpected setback.
