SAN JOSE — Two tech companies have chopped a combined 100-plus jobs in the Bay Area, a reminder that layoffs continue to jolt one of the primary engines of the region’s economy.
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QuantumScape Battery and InvenSense both said they have decided to cut dozens of jobs, according to WARN letters the companies filed separately with the state Employment Development Department.
The job cuts are poised to affect workers at QuantumScape and InvenSense sites in San Jose that are separated by a few blocks.
QuantumScape produces lithium metal batteries for electric vehicles. InvenSense makes motion-tracking sensors that are gyroscopes capable of being used in consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearables, gaming devices and TV remotes. Both companies are based in San Jose.
Here are some details about the job cuts InvenSense and QuantumScape Battery are planning, according to the WARN letters:
— InvenSense, 55 job cuts in San Jose. These are scheduled to occur on March 31.
— QuantumScape Battery, 53 layoffs in San Jose. The reductions are scheduled for March 29.
In both instances, the layoffs are being described as permanent.
“After careful consideration and extensive analysis of our business needs, QuantumScape Battery will be conducting a reduction in force of its workforce,” QuantumScape Chief Human Resources Officer Pamela Fong wrote in the company’s WARN letter.
Laid-off workers at both companies do not have bumping rights. This means the affected workers cannot displace other workers even if they have seniority over other employees.
In 2024, tech companies disclosed plans to eliminate just under 18,000 jobs in the Bay Area. The 2024 totals were about 16.7% below the tech sector’s 21,600 layoffs in the region in 2023, according to this news organization’s compilation of WARN notices sent to the EDD.
In 2022, tech companies disclosed plans to cut about 10,300 jobs in the Bay Area, the WARN notices show.
