CenturyLink Laying Off 1,300 Nationwide

I guess things are not going to well in the telecommunications business these days. Here is the Seattle Times with the story:

CenturyLink said Thursday it is laying off about 177 Washington employees, or about 8 percent of its state workforce.

Most work in the Business Markets Group, which is being absorbed nationwide by another division in a companywide initiative to streamline business-sales marketing, spokeswoman Meg Andrews said.

She couldn't say how many of the jobs are in the Seattle area. Nationwide, staff is being trimmed by about 1,300, she said.

Got some Corporate FlackSpeak? Lay it on me:

She said the reductions are part of a continuing effort to "align costs with resources," and will take effect within 30 days.

In other words you are either losing money, or not making enough to keep your CEO well supplied with gold back scratchers.