Intel to cut 5000 jos as percent sales slump

Semiconductor giant Intel is to trim 5 per cent of its workforce, or about 5,000 workers, to align itself with slumping demand for the personal computers which use most of its chips, the company said Friday, according to dpa. The cuts were announced a day after Intel issued its fourth-quarter earnings in which it said that the PC market was showing signs of stabilization, while also acknowledging weak demand for its server chips. "We will reduce our employee headcount by 5 per cent over the course of 2014," Intel spokesman Chris Kraeuter said in an emailed statement. "We are making critical decisions and realigning staffing to meet the changing needs of our business." Intel did not detail where the cuts would take place but said they would be achieved through a combination of early retirements, attrition and other methods. The high tech pioneer is far from the only major technology company to cut jobs due as customers switch to smartphones and tablet computers. Hewlett Packard is in the midst of a massive restructuring to shed 34,000 jobs.