Swedish mobile technology giant Ericsson is to reduce its Irish workforce by 20pc as part of the sweeping job cuts occurring at the company, with some 340 jobs to go in Dublin and in Westmeath.
Ericsson currently employs some 1,700 people in Ireland at facilities in Clonskeagh, Dun Laoghaire, and in Athlone.
It is understood the 340 job cuts will occur on a phased basis over the next 18 months.
It emerged last week that Ericsson is to cut 5,000 of its 80,000 workers worldwide as profits fell to US$465m in its fourth-quarter results.
The company’s CEO, Carl-Henric Svanberg (pictured), said that despite sales rising 11pc across the company’s entire global portfolio, and the company being in a strong financial position, the global economic situation has severely hurt its Sony Ericsson mobile division.
It is understood that 1,000 of the 5,000 job cuts will occur in Ericsson’s home market Sweden, mainly in Stockholm.
Ericsson Ireland managing director John Hennessy said that over 80pc of Ericsson’s 1,700-strong workforce in Ireland will remain in place.
By John Kennedy
Pictured: Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO, Ericsson
