WebProNews

Last week, all eyes were on AOL, and perhaps even Yahoo, to see if employees would be let go prior to Christmas.  Now a surprising rumor has spread that Google filled the Grinch’s role by firing around 60 former Postini employees.

This is, to emphasize the point, an unconfimed rumor.  It comes from Wired’s Betsy Schiffman, though, so we’re not inclined to dismiss the idea.  Schiffman notes, “Our source says that among techie circles, conventional wisdom is that if your company is bought by Google, you’ll have to re-interview for your own job.”

Also, Google responded with the closest thing imaginable to a “yes” while sticking to the “no comment” rule.  “While we cannot comment on the specifics, we have evaluated our staffing needs and allocated our resources to meet those challenges and grow strategically,” the company stated.  “We continue to monitor our growth to best meet the needs of our users, clients, and publishers, including from time to time, expanding or reducing staffing areas.”

If the layoffs occurred, then, are they a sign that even Google is scared of the current economy?  Or just a standard round of corporate belt-tightening?  We may never know.  We’re definitely hoping to resolve the “if they occurred” part, however, so we’ll direct a hat tip to Nathan Weinberg and suggest that you stay tuned.