IBM's Latest Round Of Layoffs To Total More Than 1,000

After several days of rumors about more layoffs at IBM, definitive reports finally came out yesterday. Here is the Triangle Business Journal with the details:

IBM has laid off 1,098 employees in cuts that started Monday, according to union organizer Lee Conrad.

That layoff figure is for the entire company. Conrad, who works for Alliance @ IBM, Communication Workers of America, isn’t sure how many of the cuts were at the technology giant’s operation in Research Triangle Park.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) typically commences layoffs in February or March, Conrad told Triangle Business Journal on Monday. He expects additional layoffs next week.

There was nothing really noteworthy about this story, except that the Corporate Fa=lackSpeak was laughable inane:

Shelton declined to provide an updated local headcount, saying only that the company employed 426,751 people worldwide at last headcount in 2010.

“We continue to believe that IBM is the largest technology employer in the U.S. and world,” Shelton said.

Couldn't you at least go check to find out for sure? Anyway, I'm sure it is a great comfort to the employees you just fired to know that.


Bonus: Just a little nugget from early on in the computer age