Report: BlackBerry prepares to cut 5,000 jobs

Troubled phone maker eyes a 40 per cent reduction in staff in effort to get costs under control

Struggling phone manufacturer BlackBerry is reportedly preparing to cut its workforce by 40 per cent in a move that could put more than 5,000 jobs at risk.

Sources close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal that the proposed cuts will sweep across all departments and will come in separate batches before the year is out.

The smartphone maker has struggled in recent years as it lost market share to rivals Apple and Samsung and last month considered putting itself up for sale as it pursued its cost-cutting plans.

Some 12,700 staff are currently employed at BlackBerry, meaning a 40 per cent cut would see more than 5,000 people worldwide out of a job.

According to IDC research released at the start of the month, BlackBerry's share of the smartphone OS market stood at just 2.7 per cent. Although the figure was up one point from last year, it still remained far behind Android and Apple's iOS which took 75.3 per cent and 16.9 per cent market share respectively.