IBM plans U.S. job cuts

IBM Corp. on Thursday confirmed reports that it plans to cut jobs in its U.S. work force but did not say how many or where. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the company plans to cut about 5,000 U.S. jobs — about 4 percent of its domestic work force of 115,000 — and that many of the jobs will be moved to India. It cited people familiar with the situation. It said the cuts would target IBM's global business-services unit. The Associated Press, citing "an IBM manager knowledgeable about the plans," said that workers would be informed Thursday. "On March 26, we notified some employees to inform them that some jobs were being eliminated," IBM said in a statement released Thursday to tech-industry news Web sites. "This is a North American action. We are not communicating locations or the number of jobs as a result of this action," the statement added. "IBM continuously evaluates its mix of skills and resources throughout the year, and makes changes as needed. Managing resources in this way keeps us competitive, while adapting to the evolving needs of our clients. We anticipate that some employees will find other positions within IBM, and we’re helping them in that effort. Those employees who leave IBM will receive separation benefits."