“Japan’s Sony Corp is cutting 10,000 jobs, about 6 percent of its global workforce, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday, as new CEO Kazuo Hirai looks to steer the electronics and entertainment giant back to profit after four years in the red,” Chris Gallagher reports for Reuters.
“The job cuts would be the latest downsizing in Japan Inc where companies from cellphone maker NEC Corp to electronics firm Panasonic Corp are trimming costs in the face of a strong yen and competition from rivals like Apple and [slavish Apple copier] Samsung Electronics,” Gallagher reports. “The Nikkei said it was not clear how many of the cuts would take place in Japan or overseas.”
Gallagher reports, “As of end-March 2011, Sony had 168,200 employees on a consolidated basis, according to the company’s website… Sony announced 16,000 job cuts in December 2008 after the global financial crisis battered demand for its products, but it has not managed to make a profit since then.”
Read more in the full article here.
Sad news. Once upon a time Sony could do no wrong. I still have a 30-year old Trinitron that works as well as it ever did. This seems to be an inevitable part of the consumer electronics business. It will happen to Apple as well, although I hope that’s many years off. I hope Sony is successful in this, their n’th restructuring. Competition is good.
I have had several Sony electronic items, a CD turn table that destroyed some of my CDs that are out of print. And a few other odd items including a headset and an old Playstation 2. I don’t really care about the company one way or another, but I do feel bad for those 10,000 who now have to look for work.
I feel sad that a once great electronics company is circling the bowl.
As for 10,000 unemployed people half a world away, I have muck more concern for those unemployed I actually know.
Too bad Sony lost the VCR format wars to VHS. My Betamax player lasted for 19 years before it went belly up. Just in time for DVDs to replace tape.
Too bad Sony totally BOTCHED the ‘Blu-ray revolution’. Sony beat out HD digital video, only to tank. Treat your customers as DRM criminals and they tend to hate you and avoid your products. It’s called the corporate ‘Marketing-Moron’ attitude and Sony has it real bad. See you in the chaotic cesspool! 😛
I find it funny that you guys are talking about 20 and 30 year old devices.
What have you bought from $ony in the past 5 years? Your answer will explain the layoffs
The best job cut Sony could make would be CEO Kazuo Hirai.
HEY SONY! NEVER put a Marketing employee in charge of ANYTHING! Least of all as your CEO. I hear only a large sucking noise in your future. You have only begun to shrink, Kodak junior. SHAME Shame shame. 😛
I love my Sony headphones and ear buds. They are the only thing I use with my iPod and when I want to listen privately to my LPs I put on my full-sized Sony headphones. They provide excellent sound for reasonable prices and they are well built.