Updated: Yahoo Layoffs Happening Now

The expected Yahoo layoffs started a few hours ago. Two very good people I know are among those cut. No doubt we’re going to be hearing from many more. Below, a rundown on reports I’ve spotted from others on the web about the cuts. As more comes in, we’ll update or do a fresh post.

(NOTE: See Yahoo Layoffs Happening Live Online for the latest on the December 2008 Yahoo layoffs.)

• Yahoo layoffs happening now: Promise, didn’t steal Valleywag’s headline — it’s just to the point. The layoffs are going on at the moment, and Valleywag has a tip on it hitting Yahoo Search Marketing in Burbank.
   
• sfish: Various tips are being posted to the page here, comments about security being around.
   
• Yahoo Layoffs Begin: Reuters, with a brief comment mainly confirming that they are happening. Similar confirmation at News.com.
   
• Axe Drops at Yahoo!: No real details, just more reports that friends are being let go.
   
• Yahoo Layoffs Begin; Media Group Numbers: From paidContent, covers Susan Mernit of Personals and Patrick Houston of Lifestyles being let go, along with 100 likely from the Media Group and quote of it "like a morgue in here." Update: Susan blogs about the web’s "social graph" response to her departure here.
   
• Chip and Randy cut loose!: From Randy Farmer and Chip Morningstar of Yahoo about being let go.
   
• Yahoo employee Twitters his layoff: Covers Ryan Kuder twittering here learning the news and having his badge taken. Silicon Alley Insider has done a great job assembling all the relevant twitters into a timeline here.

Update 1 (around 5am Eastern, Feb. 13, 2008):

• Hoo-Ya - I take the package: From Salim Ismail, covers how the head of Yahoo’s Brickhouse incubator is leaving, apparently voluntarily. Brickhouse Head Leaves Yahoo has a bit more about Brickhouse.
   
• Yahoo Exec Bails: Bradley Horowitz Leaves For Google: Covers how Bradley Horowitz, a long-time search technology exec (especially on video search), has taken a job at Google. Bradley’s blog is here; no news posted there.
   
• Brad Ramsey, Karin Timpone laid off at Yahoo: From Valleywag, covers how the two marketing execs were let go.
   
• Yahoo’s social searcher fired: Reports Jeff Bonforte, VP of social search, was cut. However, someone commenting says he was not fired. Jeff still lists Yahoo as his current position on his resume.
   
• Yahoo cuts come just before bonus time: Again from Valleywag, covers whether employees were given two or three months severance packages.
   
• Layoffs Across Yahoo — Finally: From The New York Times, a few more general details on the cuts, such as that they are across the board, but cuts were ordered to be done without hurting revenue generating projects.

To date, Yahoo has yet to put out any press release about the cuts, made no mention on its official blog nor posted to its investors. I’d have expected some official statement of what’s been done to be out there by now.

Update 2 (around Noon Eastern, Feb. 13, 2008)

Layoffs and Social Media from Yahoo’s Jeremy Zawodny lets us know that he is NOT among the cuts, since he’s offering other Yahoos who have been cut assistance. Plus, he has a short but thoughtful observation on watching the layoffs through social media news.

Meanwhile, I did a search earlier today on Google for yahoo layoffs, since some people were finding this story that way according to our stats (we’re buried back at page 3 of results; it’s Google News searches where that query is generating visits). Notice what’s listed fourth:

That’s Yahoo News’ Full Coverage page about layoffs in general. Over at Yahoo, that page comes up first:

Ironically, if you go to it, there’s not a trace of the Yahoo layoffs:

Finally, while we’ve had people Twitter and blog about being laid off, so far, I can’t see that anyone has posted photos to Flickr about the cuts.

Update 3 (around 7pm Eastern, Feb. 13, 2008)

Matt McGee tipped me to the new Facebook group, I Worked at Yahoo! Until Today. Six members at the moment:

• Jeff Scott
• Melissa Rische
• Ryan Kuder (of Twitter fame above)
• Ya-Yung Cheng
• Danny Lin
• Randy Ksar

There’s also a pre-existing Yahoo Alumni group, though I don’t see much activity related to the layoffs there. At 1,300 members at the moment — we’ll see if it notches up as a resource with new people.

Current discussion from across the web on Techmeme here.