Asian staff at chipmaker Intel were left uncertain yesterday as the company prepares to shed more than 4,000 jobs this year.
The world's biggest chipmaker said it would cut nearly 5 per cent of its global workforce, primarily through attrition and voluntary redundancies.
A spokesman for Intel Asia Pacific said the company would not be announcing any details on its plans for the region. He said: 'We don't know exactly how Asia or any specific sites here may be affected at this time. Every business group and country is unique; each has their own goals, and each will choose which programme or programmes to use to meet their goals. Business groups also span multiple sites, so impacts will vary site to site.'
In recent months, Intel has announced major investments in engineering, test and assembly operations in Asia, particularly in the Philippines and China.
According to Reuters, Intel's Indian unit said yesterday it would stick to its plan to hire 200 new engineers for its Indian software centre this year.
Intel's three-year-old software centre in Bangalore, its largest non-manufacturing site outside the United States, doubled its staff size last year to about 800. The company announced the 200 new hires in March. Intel is putting the finishing touches to a US$25 million headquarters in Bangalore.
