LinkedIn To Cut Over 700 Jobs, Close China App

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May 09, 2023

Image copyright: Zuma Press [via The Wall Street Journal]story last updated May 09, 2023

The Facts

Citing slower revenue growth and changing customer behavior, LinkedIn announced Monday that it will cut 716 jobs globally, discontinue its professional networking services and product and engineering teams in China, and downsize its sales and marketing functions in the country.
The networking platform, owned by Microsoft, said it will also shut down its China job posting app, InCareer, by August. That limited version of its main platform, created in 2014, allowed people to search for jobs but not post or share articles like they can on LinkedIn.

The Spin

Narrative A

LinkedIn has and continues to prioritize business profitability over the values of free speech. While claiming to support "freedom of expression," it censored posts about the Tiananmen Square massacre and hid journalistic posts from its users. The company may have shut down its Chinese app, but that doesn't absolve it from appeasing the CCP for financial gain.

Business Insider

Narrative B

LinkedIn's decision is the result of multiple factors, including a volatile tech market and increasing regulatory oversight from Beijing. As are all major players in the industry, the company is trying to deal with domestic Chinese competition and the wider global economic downturn to retain jobs and reach users in as many areas as possible.