John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco Systems, speaks during a news conference at at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6, 2010.STEVE MARCUS/Reuters
Networking equipment company, Cisco Systems Inc. , could eliminate as many as 10,000 jobs, or about 14 per cent of its work force, to revive profit growth, Bloomberg said, citing two people familiar with the matter.
As many as 7,000 jobs would be eliminated by the end of August, the sources told the agency. Cisco is also providing early-retirement packages to about 3,000 workers who took buyouts, according to Bloomberg.
Early on Monday, Reuters reported that Cisco may slash about 5,000 jobs to meet chief executive officer John Chambers' goal of slashing costs by $1-billion (U.S.). Reuters had cited Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall.
A Cisco spokeswoman told Reuters on Monday that the company will provide details on cost reductions, including layoffs, during its earnings call on Aug. 11.
Cisco was not immediately available to comment on the Bloomberg report late on Monday.
Cisco shares closed down about 2 per cent at $15.43, in a market that was broadly lower due to concerns about the U.S. budget talks and the euro zone debt crisis.
Mr. Chambers, who is set to speak at a company event in Las Vegas on Tuesday, is working to turn around the Silicon Valley bellwether. He has said the company's next fiscal year starting in August would not live up to the company's previous growth expectations.
Mr. Marshall's estimate for job cuts at Cisco is higher than the previous forecasts of up to 4,000 jobs that are in danger of being eliminated.
The pending job cuts "will help right the ship" and achieve a reduction in operating expenses by about $1-billion annually, Mr. Marshall said in a note to clients.
Cisco would also need to lower its long-term revenue growth target to about 10 per cent from a forecast of 12 per cent to 17 per cent, Mr. Marshall said.
Cisco's revenue has increased 11 per cent over the past five calendar years.
Cisco warned in May that it planned to trim its work force as part of a plan to cut some $1-billion in costs from its annual budget but did not disclose how many jobs would be cut.
Cisco's previous record layoffs came in 2001, when the company shed some 8,000 jobs, Mr. Marshall said.