Major Tech Company to Cut 11,000 Jobs as Part of ‘Turnaround’ Plan

Major Tech Company to Cut 11,000 Jobs as Part of ‘Turnaround’ Plan
Branding for Vodafone is pictured outside a store in west London, England, on May 15, 2022. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images
Lorenz Duchamps
Updated:

Vodafone, one of the world’s largest telecommunications services, has become the latest tech company to announce mass layoffs as part of a “turnaround” plan to help the carrier regain its competitive edge following periods of underperformance.

In a statement on Tuesday, newly appointed CEO Margherita Della Valle said the layoffs will include 11,000 employees over a three-year period—the biggest job cuts in the history of the company, which employs around 100,000 people in Europe and Africa.

Della Valle, an Italian businesswoman who was given the authorization to turn the company around when appointed chief executive in late April, said the job cuts would affect both the firm’s headquarters and local markets in other countries.

Setting out her roadmap, Della Valle also said she would maximize the potential of business customers, a long-standing Vodafone strength, while focusing on the basics, such as customer service.

“Our performance has not been good enough. To consistently deliver, Vodafone must change,” she said. “My priorities are customers, simplicity, and growth. We will simplify our organization, cutting out complexity to regain our competitiveness.”

Germany, the UK-based company’s biggest market, has been performing poorly, she added, pointing out the company is considering a strategic review for Spain, which has seen strong price competition in recent years.

According to financial results as of March 31, revenue in Germany fell by 1.6 percent largely due to broadband and customer losses as well as declining average revenue for mobile users. In Spain, revenue declined by 5.4 percent due to price competition in the value segment and a declining customer base.

Vodafone reported a 30 percent total revenue contribution in Germany, more than double compared to the carrier’s second-largest consumer, the United Kingdom, where overall revenue saw a 3.6 percent increase.

The telecommunication service is a major provider of mobile networks in many European countries, as well as in parts of Africa.

Worsening Outlook

Vodafone reported a 1.3 percent overall decline in group core earnings to €14.7 billion ($15.9 billion) for the year, below the company’s own guidance, citing higher energy costs and commercial underperformance in Germany.

Shares in Vodafone, meanwhile, fell to their lowest level since early January and were trading down 4 percent early on Tuesday. The price fall was most likely down to its forecast of €3.3 billion ($3.6 billion) of cash flow this financial year, down from €4.8 billion ($5.2 billion) in the year to end-March, Della Valle said.

Della Valle also said the European telecoms market had long delivered a poor return on the capital invested in networks, but Vodafone’s relative performance had worsened over time.

Additionally, Vodafone already started to cut jobs in big markets, shedding 1,000 in Italy this year. In Germany, the company’s regional boss Philippe Rogge said in late March that he was looking to cut around 1,300 positions, or around 6.3 percent of the 14,230 full-time jobs, according to German newspaper Handelsblatt.

“If we want to finance our ambitions, we have to take this painful step,” said Rogge, who is also a member of the group’s board of directors in London.

Della Valle’s predecessor, Nick Read, who stepped down in December amid investor frustration, had said consolidation was needed in major markets like Britain, where Vodafone has been in talks with Hutchison’s Three UK for at least nine months.

Vodafone said on Tuesday there could be no certainty that any transaction would ultimately be agreed.

“It will take as long as it takes to get a good deal,” Della Valle told reporters.

Mass Layoffs Amid Economic Woes

The announcement comes amid mass layoffs in different sectors globally that started late last year and have continued into 2023. So far, the number of tech layoffs globally this year has exceeded the total number from a year ago.
According to data compiled by online tracker Layoffs.fyi, the running total of tech layoffs to date is 194,189, surpassing last year’s total of 164,576.
Some experts are warning that a U.S. recession is expected this year, despite the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showing that the U.S. economy added 253,000 new jobs in April.

The unemployment rate dropped slightly to 3.4 percent, down from 3.5 percent, according to the BLS.

“We still forecast a recession to start in 2023 as the Fed continues to raise its target interest rate to bring inflation under control,” wrote Selcuk Eren, senior economist at The Conference Board, following the BLS report released on May 5.

Eren added: “The slowing economy will reduce labor demand. We expect the unemployment rate to rise to around 4.5 percent by the beginning of 2024.”

Reuters and Epoch Times reporter Frank Fang contributed to this report.
Lorenz Duchamps
Lorenz Duchamps
Author
Lorenz Duchamps is a news writer for NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media, focusing primarily on the United States, world, and entertainment news.
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