Comment by hyperpape

If I do my python right, from 2010-2020 they grew by 2.5% annually, from 2020 to 2025, they grew headcount by 3.7% annually.

After the layoffs, they'll apparently now have grown by 1.0% annually since 2020.

So yes, from 2021 to 2023, they had a huge spike, but overall, it's a net slowdown in growth relative to the 2010-2020 period.

If this was about reversion to the old pattern they'd have done a smaller set of layoffs or simply wait for a few years of zero growth.