Kodak to axe up to 6,000 jobs

Photography giant Eastman Kodak is axing up to 6,000 jobs as it struggles with a slump in film sales blamed largely and the rapid growth of digital cameras and a sluggish US economy.

The cuts were announced today as the world’s largest photography company posted sharply lower second-quarter earnings.

The company eliminated 7,000 jobs last year, shrinking its work force to 70,000 people.

The latest cuts, which are to begin later this year, will be made in administration, manufacturing and research with a special emphasis on paring overhead in the consumer film and professional film divisions, the company said.

In Rochester, New York state, where Kodak employs about 22,000 people, as many as 3,000 jobs will be eliminated, it said.