Motorola staff facing layoffs

Telecommunications company Motorola Inc yesterday said it will cut the number of its employees in China as part of a global layoff plan amid financial turbulence.

The company is currently under an internal evaluation of its Chinese operations, which is aimed at reducing costs and streamlining its products, Chen Lei, spokesman for Motorola China, told China Daily. Details of the layoff may be disclosed in the next few months, he said.

Motorola last week announced a plan to cut 3,000 workers worldwide, with nearly 2,000 from its handset division. The announcement came after the firm disclosed a disappointing third quarter result, in which net losses amounted to $397 million, compared with a profit of $60 million one year ago.