FILE PHOTO: Figurines with computers and smartphones are seen in front of Intel logo in this illustration taken, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
INTEL Corp. is poised to announce plans this week to cut more than 20% of its staff, aiming to eliminate bureaucracy at the struggling chipmaker, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The move is part of a bid to streamline management and rebuild an engineering-driven culture, according to the person, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. It would be the first major restructuring under new Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan, who took the helm last month.
The cutbacks follow an effort last year to slash about 15,000 jobs - a round of layoffs announced in August. Intel had 108,900 employees at the end of 2024, down from 124,800 the previous year.
A representative for Intel declined to comment.
Tan is aiming to turn around the iconic chipmaker after years of Intel ceding ground to rivals. The Santa Clara, California-based company lost its technological edge and has struggled to catch up with Nvidia Corp. in artificial intelligence computing. That contributed to three straight years of sales declines and mounting red ink.
Tan, a veteran of Cadence Design Systems Inc., has vowed to spin off Intel assets that aren’t central to its mission and create more compelling products. Last week, the company agreed to sell a 51% stake in its programmable chips unit Altera to Silver Lake Management, a step toward that goal.
Intel needs to replace the engineering talent it has lost, improve its balance sheet and better attune manufacturing processes to the needs of potential customers, Tan said last month at the Intel Vision conference.
The company is scheduled to report its first-quarter results on Thursday. - Bloomberg
