Intel is set to unveil plans this week to slash more than 20% of its workforce, in a move to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies, Bloomberg News has reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The layoffs are part of a broader strategy to refocus on an engineering-driven culture, the report said.
A spokesperson for Intel Ireland told RTÉ News that the company is not commenting on the Bloomberg report “as it is rumour and speculation.”
The Enterprise and Employment Minister Peter Burke is engaging with Intel today about the reported restructuring of the company.
He is also in contact with IDA Ireland, but he is not expected to make any public comment until there is clarity over the implications for Irish workers.
The reported layoffs mark the first major move under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took over last month to revive the struggling Silicon Valley chipmaker after years of challenges.
Last month, Reuters reported that Tan was considering significant changes to its chip manufacturing methods and artificial intelligence strategies.
The new trajectory involved restructuring Intel’s AI strategy and implementing staff cuts to address what Tan described as a slow-moving and bloated middle management layer.
Shortly after his appointment, he told employees in a town hall that the company will have to make “tough decisions.”
Last week, Reuters reported that Tan was restructuring the company by flattening its leadership team, with key chip groups now reporting directly to him.
The planned layoffs follow a significant reduction in workforce last August, when Intel said it planned to cut 15% of its jobs, or approximately 15,000 positions.
The job cuts in 2024, part of a $10 billion cost-reduction plan aimed for this year, were driven by high costs, shrinking margins in Intel’s core PC and data center segments, and an expensive pivot to AI chips – an area where Intel has trailed competitors such as Nvidia.
The Santa Clara, California-based company had 108,900 employees around the world at the end of 2024, including 4,900 people in Lexilip in Co Kildare,
The chipmaker is scheduled to report its first-quarter results tomorrow.
