PC and printer maker HP plans to slash up to 2,000 jobs globally as part of its continuing efficiency and cost-cutting drive in a very competitive market.
In a Form 8-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), HP said the axe was being wielded as part of its ongoing restructuring plan.
“HP expects incremental gross workforce reductions of approximately 1,000 to 2,000 employees in connection with the amendment [to its restructuring plan],” HP said in its filing.
HP did not confirm which parts of the business would be most affected by the move.
But, it went on: “The changes to the workforce will vary by country, based on local legal requirements and consultations with employee works councils and other employee representatives, as appropriate.”
HP employed around 58,000 people in 2024. Therefore, a potential 2,000 jobs going would be equivalent of 3.4% of the workforce.
In another big jobs blow, design software player Autodesk plans to make 1,350 staff redundant, partly down to changes to its go-to-market organisation, and following investments in artificial intelligence.
That number of jobs being axed would equate to 9% of the Autodesk global workforce. Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost said: “Our investments in cloud, platform, and AI are ahead of our peers, and enable us to provide more valuable and connected solutions that support a much broader customer and developer ecosystem.
“To maintain and extend this leadership, we are shifting resources across our GTM, platform, industry, and corporate functions to accelerate investments in these strategic priorities.”
As for AI, workers across other channel vendors will now be waiting to see if its take-up will have any effect on their jobs.
Also, with the actual, and planned tariffs by the Trump administration on products, components and materials on China and elsewhere, tech workers at US companies and their overseas subsidiaries will also be bracing themselves for any side effects from retaliatory measures, that could lead to product inflation and lower demand in some markets.
