IBM is to lay off 160 workers at its research division. The job cuts will affect US based researchers based at laboratories in California and New York. The job losses represent the largest reduction in the company's research division since the mid 1990s. IBM blames the job cuts on its decision to withdraw support for projects no longer deemed to be strategic. The company also said it was trying to make general cost reductions.
IBM moved quickly to allay fears that its research and development activities would be affected by the job cuts. An IBM spokesman said that the company still had over 3,000 researchers worldwide, an increase of 40% from levels during the mid 1990s.
These latest job losses follow the 1,500 job losses announced by IBM earlier this month.
