IBM could be the latest technology firm to announce
thousands of job cuts as a result of the global economic slowdown,
says unionAlliance@IBM
.
About 16,000 employees will be affected, with the layoff date
expected to be 23 January, according to a
posting by
a union member on the
Alliance@IBM
website.
Most job cuts will take place in the US, and upper management
has signed confidentiality agreements to keep the cuts quiet, the
posting said.
Divisional managers are planning job cuts and are moving
staffers they want to protect onto projects with government
funding, another posting said.
The predicted layoff date is just days after IBM is to announce
fourth quarter financial results.
IBM is expected to report a drop in salesof about 1.6%,
according to news agencyBloomberg.
Internet search company
Yahoo announced
1,500
job cuts shortly after releasing poor third quarter results two
months ago.
Like IBM, Microsoft has yet to comment on
rumours that it is considering thousands of job cuts
worldwide.
IBM spokesman Fred McNeese has said the company does not comment
on rumors or speculation, according to a posting on the
Alliance@IBM website.