IBM slashes 300 systems jobs

NEW YORK: IBM said it cut 300 jobs in its computer server and storage group, mostly in its San Jose, California location, as part of an effort to revamp its workforce to match skills with jobs.

That's about 2.3 percent of the Armonk, New York-based company's 7,000 employees in its computer systems division and less than one-tenth of a percent of International Business Machines Corp.'s 319,000 employees worldwide.

The majority of the employees affected are in systems development and finance, IBM spokesman James Larkin said.

"IBM continuously seeks ways to rebalance the skills needed to compete," Larkin said.

IBM, which makes computer servers for corporations and systems that store and manage data, said on Jan. 7 that it had cut about 400 jobs in its software and services divisions.

Recently, the company said it planned to hire 15,000 new employees this year in fast growing businesses such as software and services. It also said it plans to move about 3,000 jobs from the U.S. to other countries.

© Reuters