In-Depth
IBM Will Increase Employment Faster than Originally Planned
Big Blue says it will create 15,000 more jobs globally, of which 4500 net jobs will be in the United States.
IBM said this week it will create 15,000 more jobs this year, and that the number it creates in the U.S. will outstrip those that it has plans to shift to India and China.
The 15,000 figure is 50 percent more than the company had originally planned; the jobs will be in areas such as software and services. The increase is due to a rebound in the economy.
IBM has faced criticism for its plans to shift some U.S. workers to cheaper locations such as India and China. In total, Big Blue will add 4,500 net jobs in the United States this year, with the rest coming from other countries. That is roughly the same number IBM is reported to have earmarked to add in the Far East.
The move will add 5 percent to the current workforce, taking it up to 330,000, back over its highest-ever figure. Employment had risen to 318,000 when IBM hit problems back in the late 1980s and was cut right back to just over 200,000 employees when CEO Lou Gertsner ran the company.
Earlier, current CEO Sam Palmisano said that IBM would hire 10,000 new employees in “hot” segments, e-business software, and wireless services, and Linux.
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