Alcatel cuts 5 percent of U.S. work force

French communications equipment company Alcatel announced Monday that the company will reduce its U.S. work force by about 5 percent, or 1,100 workers, 800 of which were full time. The company said it needed to manage its costs to remain competitive in the United States. With the layoffs, Alcatel becomes the latest in a long line of communications equipment makers such as Cisco Systems, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, and many others that announced layoffs or warned of slower sales as a result of the economic downturn. Many communications carriers are becoming increasingly cautious about the money they spend on new equipment, which has affected hardware suppliers.