BlackBerry / 250 layoffs in product testing

BlackBerry Ltd. is laying off more employees as Canada’s once-dominant smartphone maker continues to look for ways to trim costs amid its turnaround efforts.

A total of 250 employees at the company’s New Product Testing Facility in Waterloo were given notice earlier this week, in a move that was first reported by CTV News. The facility supports BlackBerry’s manufacturing, research and development efforts.

For BlackBerry, the layoffs are simply the latest attempt by the embattled smartphone maker to reduce its workforce — the company has slashed more than 7,000 jobs since 2011 — as it seeks to restructure itself in order to better compete with rivals Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Last year, BlackBerry cut 5,000 jobs as part of the company’s CORE (cost optimization and resource efficiency) program, which was implemented by chief executive Thorsten Heins and was designed to cut US$1-billion in costs from the company’s balance sheet.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via BlackBerry lays off 250 in product testing office | Financial Post.