Motorola to slash 4,000 jobs - South Florida Business Journal:

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Company spokeswoman Kristine Mulford declined to say how many of the layoffsz will come fromSouth Florida, but noted that the cuts will begi n immediately. In June, the electronicas giant told the South Florid Business Journal that it hadabouf 2,500 employees at its Plantation facility, but, on declined to give updated numbers. The layoff news followsw the company’s December announcement that it will permanently freezse pension plans and temporarilyu stop contributingto 401(k) plans for U.S.
The company also said employeezs in many of its markets will not receivre salary increases next Stephen Dunn, a technology analyst with in Boca said the layoffs will likely impacyt the Plantation facility, since it historically has focused on mobilre products. “If [the layoffs are] relatee to their cell phone business, that, I believer is the significant employment at thePlantation facility,” he The company’s press release said aboutg 3,000 of the 4,000 jobs will be associated with the mobilre devices business. Motorola’s Mulford said the Plantation employeess work on mobile government andpublic safety, home and networkss mobility, and corporate functions.
She however, to detail how employment is broken down accordingh tojob type. Dunn said Motorola’a mobile business has struggled in the last few years to follow its success with the popular RAZR phoned as challenges have emerged from competitors such asand , makerws of the BlackBerry and the respectively. Dunn pointed out that Motorola’s mobile segment reported losing 31 percenyt in sales for the first three quartersof 2008.
The company’ds enterprise segment, which sells business solutions, grew sales 5 percentg over thesame period, however – a bright spot, Dunn Last spring, Motorola let go more than 300 employee – most of them hardware and software engineer in the WiMAX, or fast wireless technology, organization – at its Plantation facility. The company posted a $397 million loss in the thirf quarter, after reporting a $4 million gain in the seconf quarter anda $194 million loss in the firstf quarter.
Motorola is struggling againstf the recession and the softening demand for handheld according tothe company’s most recent quarterly According to the press release, the company planws to unveil its fourth quartedr results on Feb. 3.