Industryweek 3188 Panasonic

Panasonic May Cut 8,000 Jobs

Nov. 14, 2012
Proposed cuts would be the second round of reductions this year following an S&P rating downgrade and another hard year for the Japanese electronics industry.

TOKYO - Panasonic (IW 1000/31) said Wednesday it may cut 8,000 jobs as part of a corporate overhaul aimed at shoring up its bleeding balance sheet, after suffering a credit rating downgrade this month.

The struggling Japanese electronics giant has already cut its workforce in the first half of the fiscal year to March by about 8,800 employees, which included some scheduled retirements, a company spokesman said.

This leaves a global total of 322,000 employees.

"We are considering reducing around 8,000 jobs in the second half of the year in a new step as part of our structural reform," the spokesman told AFP.

Earlier this month Standard & Poor's downgraded Panasonic's credit rating after the firm warned of a mammoth $9.6 billion annual loss.

The expected shortfall, largely due to restructuring and tax charges, is close to Panasonic's record loss last year and a reversal of an earlier profit forecast.

Like rivals Sharp (IW 1000/115) and Sony (IW 1000/39), Panasonic has suffered in its television business because of falling prices and stiff overseas competition. A strong yen and the global slowdown have also hit Japanese manufacturers.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2012

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Discover How an Eye Tracking Study Improves Training Procedures

Oct. 29, 2023
Did you know that your training processes can be streamlined by visualizing and analyzing key skills within your employee base? Find out how we use eye tracking to capture advanced...

You Cannot Stay Competitive by Bolting New Technologies to a Legacy ERP

Oct. 20, 2023
Read this white paper to understand the benefits of shifting to a next-generation ERP system as part of a DOP.

Lean Manufacturing in the Age of the Industrial Internet

Oct. 24, 2023
Read how advanced MES capabilities can help you improve your labor utilization, reduce WIP, and optimize your production. Download the white paper today.

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!