layoffs

Research In Motion plans to lay off 2,000 employees, the company announced today.

The layoffs are part of a "cost optimization program" for RIM, whose lineup of handsets has been coming under increasing pressure from smartphones such as the iPhone and devices running Google's Android operating system. According to the Waterloo, Ontario-based company, the program "is focused on eliminating redundancies and reallocating resources to focus on areas that offer the highest growth opportunities and alignment with RIM's strategic objectives."

Affected employees in North America and in "certain other countries" will be … Read more

Cisco Systems announced today it would cut about 14 percent of its global workforce, or about 11,500 employees, as part of a widely expected reorganization.

The network-gear maker expects to save $1 billion a year by eliminating 6,500 jobs, including 2,100 employees who opted to participate in an early retirement program. The cuts, which were greater than the rumored figure circulating last week, include a 15 percent reduction in employees at the vice president level or higher, the company said.

The San Jose, Calif.-based company also plans to eliminate about 5,000 jobs by selling its … Read more

MySpace is nearing another major round of layoffs, multiple reports suggest.

Gawker first reported on the possible layoffs yesterday, saying that rumors swirling around the company suggested that major layoffs are coming this week. One Gawker source told the blog that some employees "are actually hoping" for layoffs.

Following that, TechCrunch reported late last night that it had "confirmed" with a source that at least 150 employees will be laid off on Wednesday. In addition, the source told TechCrunch that 150 more employes will be placed on a "transition plan" that will allow them … Read more

Just days after closing its deal with the Huffington Post, AOL has confirmed that it will lay off hundreds of staffers.

A company spokesperson told CNET in a phone interview today that 200 people will be laid off in the U.S. The majority of those employees will come from the editorial side of AOL's operation, while the remaining employees are in other divisions. In addition, AOL will layoff 700 people in India. Approximately 300 of those people, however, will move to other companies and continue working on AOL support functions, like finance and operations.

The layoffs at AOL … Read more

There's no question it's a jarring contrast: layoffs versus champagne and cookies.

But that's the reality at AOL as its acquisition of the Huffington Post closes this week, even as it plans to sheds employees as part of its ongoing turnaround effort.

Sources said the New York-based Internet portal will announce layoffs soon.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong indicated job cuts were definitely coming at a PaidContent conference in New York yesterday.

"There will be job changes," he said, when asked about layoffs.

Perhaps sooner than later.

Several sources close to the situation confirmed that the … Read more

Just hours before its 2010 fourth-quarter earnings call, Yahoo has confirmed an NBC Local report that it has laid off about 100 to 150 employees, or 1 percent of its global workforce.

"The personnel changes we are making are part of our ongoing strategy to best position Yahoo for revenue growth and margin expansion and to support our strategy to deliver differentiated products and experiences to the marketplace," a statement from Yahoo read. "We'll continue to hire on a global basis to support our key priorities. Today's action impacts approximately 1 percent of the global … Read more

Walt Disney has laid off hundreds of people in its game development division as it transitions from console content to more casual gaming, according to CNBC.

Citing an unnamed source, CNBC reported that Disney may have eliminated up to 350 of the 700 jobs in the company's game development office.

However, a source close to Disney told CNET today that the layoffs are not nearly as steep as CNBC is reporting.

The news is all the more surprising when one considers that Disney launched the popular Epic Mickey on the Nintendo Wii less than two months ago. The release … Read more

It goes without saying that News Corp. is familiar with the process of cancellation--it's the parent company of the network that controversially axed "Firefly" and "Arrested Development," after all.

But when it comes to getting rid of a social-networking site, things seem to be a little bit more complicated: After this week laying off nearly half the people who work at MySpace, News Corp. seems to be in limbo over what to do about once-cool social network. Rumor has it that the Rupert Murdoch-helmed media company is shopping it to potential buyers, and at least one analyst is speculating … Read more

MySpace CEO Mike Jones today announced a "significant organizational restructuring that will result in a 47 percent staff reduction across all divisions globally and impact about 500 employees," confirming many rumors that the News Corp.-owned social network would be going through heavy layoffs before possibly seeking a new buyer.

Formerly a social-networking sensation, MySpace lost more and more ground to Facebook over the past few years until it finally underwent a massive redesign that focuses on pop culture media-sharing for young users rather than attempting to be a universally appealing social network.

"Today's tough but … Read more