Edvard Munch Google Logo: Graphic by rustybrick on Flickr (cc)

Google is arguably the most storied company of the new millennium, but even it is not immune to the global economic slowdown.

The company just announced via its official blog that it will be laying off 100 recruiters, a large slice of their recruiting team, which our own Dr. John Sullivan has called “one of the most innovative recruiting organizations on the planet.”

With the exception of cuts after its DoubleClick acquisition, these are the first staff layoffs ever for Google (although it has recently made deep cuts to contractors). It’s a logical move for an organization that sees less hiring in its future, but still feels jarring to me that recruiters were the first to go.

I’ve met several recruiters from the Google team over the years, and have found every one to be smart and capable. I hope they land on their feet.