Google's Motorola Mobility Layoffs:1,200 More Workers In U.S., China And India Lose Their Jobs

Google has cut approximately 1,200 jobs from its Motorola Mobility unit, amounting to over 10 percent of the company's workforce, according to the Wall Street Journal.

In an email sent to Motorola staffers this week, management cited high costs, competitive markets and declining profitability as the reasons behind the layoffs.

Google bought Motorola last year for $12.5 billion, in an effort to use the company's patents to fend off legal attacks on its Android mobile platform. Since then, the Internet search company has been trimming Motorola's staff, laying off 4,000 employees or nearly 20 percent of its entire workforce. Google also shuttered nearly a third of Motorola's offices worldwide.

The latest round of layoffs will affect Motorola workers in the U.S., China and India, Reuters reported.

According to the WSJ, a Motorola spokesperson explained:

"These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer. It's obviously very hard for the employees concerned, and we are committed to helping them through this difficult transition."