Hi Everyone. This is Take Off. We're like a hidden Easter egg in your favorite video game - surprising, delightful, and adding an extra layer of fun to your tech news consumption.

Here's what we're serving up today:

• Tech Layoff Tsunami: 2023 Edition 🌊 

• Asteroids ☄️

• Trending Tools ⚒️ 

Tech Layoff Tsunami: 2023 Edition 🌊 

Let’s dive into a world where tech giants and startups alike are slimming down faster than a Silicon Valley CEO on a juice cleanse. So, let's get to the numbers, because, as they say, the math never lies

Let's start with the heavyweight number: 240,000. That's the whopping total of tech jobs that have vanished in 2023.

We're talking a 50% increase from last year. Yes, you read that right, 50%!

The big names in tech – Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Yahoo, Meta, and Zoom – decided to lead this not-so-merry dance early in the year.

But hey, why should the giants have all the fun? Startups across various sectors also joined in, trimming down their teams like a gardener on a hedge-cutting spree.

But let's not forget, behind every number is a human story. These layoffs aren't just statistics; they're people with plans, families, and probably a lot of unopened LinkedIn messages now.

Here's a snapshot of the layoff landscape month by month:

• January: A chilly start with 89,554 layoffs.

• February: 40,021 more folks joined the job hunt.

• March: Another 37,823 waved goodbye.

• April: 20,014 decided to explore new opportunities.

• May: 14,928 found themselves updating resumes.

• June: 10,958 started their summer with a job search.

• July: 10,589 had an unexpected career pivot.

• August: 9,545 joined the 'open to work' club.

• September: 4,632 received the dreaded email.

• October: 7,331 got more trick than treat.

It's not just about the numbers, though. We've seen whole divisions, like Unity's Wētā Digital and ByteDance's gaming department Nuverse, getting the axe.

Companies from various sectors like Tier Mobility, Dataminr, and others are cutting down their workforce size like they're on a budget diet.

In conclusion, the tech industry in 2023 has been like a game of musical chairs, but the music's a bit gloomy, and there are way fewer chairs than we'd like.

☄️ Asteroids ☄️

OpenAI's GPT Store, initially set for a 2023 launch, is now delayed to early 2024 due to recent leadership changes and development tweaks. 🚀🤖

Spotify is eliminating about 1,500 jobs, or about 17% of its workforce, in its third round of layoffs this year as the music streaming looks to become “both productive and efficient.” 🎵🎹 

⚒️ Trending Tools ⚒️

🧳 Swifty - Simplify business travel with your AI assistant

🤝 Klookin - Track & Manage Your Employee Attendance

🌐 Ddle - Instant 1 minute walkthrough for your website.

🔎 Generavitae - Ace Your Job Search

📰 Recommended Reading 📰

1/ Learn how to maximize your credit cards and travel in style. Click here to check it out.

2/ Checkout the latest marketing tools, techniques and news read by teams at Apple, Microsoft and more by clicking here.

That’s it from us today folks! If you liked what today’s edition, here’s a message from our loving and hard-working team below:

“ We all crave the essentials in life - food 🥑🍕, shelter 🏠, and clothing 👕🩳- and we're no exception! Our must-haves? An ever-growing squad of adoring subscribers like you and for more of those lovely subs, we're counting on you to spread the word! So, blast that newsletter across the universe! ”