Google also said it would offer its employees the opportunity to exchange their stock options for ones with a lower exercise price  the price employees would pay to convert an option into stock. The company said that plan was intended to retain workers as the value of Google’s stock plummeted near 60 percent since its November 2007 peak.

In a conference call with analysts, Eric E. Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, said about 85 percent of the company’s workers had stock options with an exercise price higher than the current price of Google’s shares. Vesting of the new options will be delayed by one year, which should help Google retain employees, he said.

The total number of options would not change, Mr. Schmidt said, but the number that would ultimately be exercised and converted into stock would probably rise. “It is a good deal for shareholders and for employees as well,” he said. Google will take a charge of about $460 million over five years to account for the changes.

The compensation research firm Equilar said that stock option exchanges and plans to reset the price of stock options were becoming increasingly common, as companies try to insulate workers from the declining value of the stock market. In January, 25 American companies announced repricing or option swap plans, half as many as in all of 2008, Equilar said.

Image Eric Schmidt of Google said no major cuts were planned. Credit... Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Mr. Schmidt said that he was pleased with the company’s results and remained optimistic about Google’s long-term prospects.