IT job losses increase

Staff losses essential for business, say companies

Accenture, AOL and Equant all added to the industry's woes by axing staff last week.

Citing economic reasons, consultancy Accenture is to cut 1500 jobs.

The firm, which employs 75,000 staff, is cutting 1000 consultants, mainly in the US, and 500 administrative positions worldwide.

Chief executive Joe Forehand said: "We are taking these actions to ensure that our staffing levels are better balanced with client demand."

Rumoured job cuts at AOL Time Warner ([CRN, 20 August] were finally confirmed when the firm said 1700 employees would be laid off. About 500 of those jobs will be outside the US.

AOL previously cut 6200 jobs, or seven per cent of its workforce, as part of restructuring.

Also, Franco-Dutch network operator Equant has confirmed it will cut 3000 jobs in the UK and France. Half will go by the end of the year, through a mixture of early retirement and redundancies.

Didier Delepine, chief executive of Equant, said: "These decisions, while difficult, are essential to maintain our lead in the corporate data market."