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AT&T cuts 12,000 jobs, shifts to wireless

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On December 4, 2008, 12:45 PM

AT&T is joining a long list of companies slashing costs to cope with the economic downturn, with an announcement today that it would axe 12,000 positions, or roughly 4 percent of its workforce. Not only is the recession to blame for the move, though, but also a “changing business mix” that has left its traditional landline service in decline.

But while 12,000 employees of the company are on the chopping block, the company said it plans to add jobs in areas that are growing, such as its cellular division as well as its Internet access and video services. Cuts are expected to begin this month and move into next year, according to the company.

AT&T is certainly not the company in the technology sector (or elsewhere for that matter) that has had to lay off workers recently. Viacom also announced today that it will cut its workforce by seven percent, or 850 jobs, while Adobe Systems announced on Wednesday it will let go eight percent of its employees, or around 600 people.

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  1. December 6, 2008 5:39 AM
    9Nails said:
    AT&T could easily consolidate 12,000 positions into their remaining work force. In my opinion they're a bloated company because they're a union based work force. Their union would suffer a reduction in dues if they negotiated the jobs into a single person who can preform the duties of multiple teams. But if they did consolidate they would improve delivery times and customer service. Their size is a hindrance.If they don't have a monopoly on a service, they're pretty much doomed to survive. They spent billions on trying to branch into the TV market but aren't agile enough to deliver upon promises and price so the service expansion project was a failure.I've personally suffered through days of service interruption in their core competencies because the job had to be dispatched between 5 teams to repair a T1 line.
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