Motorola to axe 1,900 jobs in 20 countries

Motorola is cutting 1,900 jobs at 29 US and international locations in an effort to improve operating efficiency.

The mobile phone manufacturer said the job losses would would be distributed over its operations in more than 20 countries and began in July, when it announced a planned consolidation of its supply chain facilities over the next several years.

Motorola’s workforce will remain at about 68,000 since it is simultaneously adding staff in areas such as engineering and marketing, spokeswoman Jennifer Weyrauch said in Schaumburg, Illinois.

“This is about operating more efficiently and delighting our customers, it’s not about a significant change in head count,” she said.

Among the affected sites are Motorola’s manufacturing plant in South Korea, which is being shifted to a design centre, and a distribution and service centre in Elgin, Illinois, which is also being turned into a design facility. Some of those employees will be relocated to other Motorola facilities, the company said.