RALEIGH, N.C. — Local workers at IBM, one of the area's biggest employers, got hit by another wave of layoffs Monday.
The extent of the damage from this round is not clear, but those notified will swell the ranks of the jobless already well-represented by castoffs from Sony-Ericsson, Nortel Networks, Lenovo and others.
The cuts affected IBM operations across the nation, according to a labor union trying to organize IBM's workers.
"It's clear IBM is moving work offshore at a record rate," said Lee Conrad, national field coordinator ofAlliance@IBM.
The union reported that IBM had cut more than 1,200 jobs in the U.S. and Canada as of Monday afternoon. Conrad said the total is likely to increase as more information is collected.
Facing increasing competition, IBM has been cutting staff for years. The global technology giant employs an estimated 10,000 in Research Triangle Park. The New York-based company laid off about 10,400 people last year in North America, according to Alliance@IBM.
The cuts are paying dividends, at least on paper. Last year IBM reported a record profit of $13.4 billion, a 9 percent increase over the previous year.
An IBM spokesman did not return calls. IBM provides no information about staff reductions as a matter of company policy.
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