Even before Intel’s Bob Swan officially cemented his role as CEO, the company has been on a hiring spree picking up notable industry experts, reportedly including Nvidia’s Tom Peterson. Unfortunately, a shake-up in how the company runs its business in the Americas has seen a substantial amount of information technology administrators laid off.

News of Intel’s restructuring surfaced at the end of last month, initially affecting the company’s 20-year-old Costa Rican plant. Costa Rica president Carlos Alvarado expressed his shock at the news after meeting with company executives a mere two weeks prior, stating that he would put in a request to speak with Intel sometime after the announcement.

The layoffs have also hit home turf for the company, as Oregon Live confirmed with Intel that sites across the United States were set to be hit with redundancies. Although the corporation has refused to share exact numbers, Intel’s largest site in Oregon is set to be hit the hardest with a portion of its 20,000 workers laid off, although sources confirm that this is in proportion with establishments affected elsewhere.

Although these are some of Intel’s biggest cutbacks since it shed up to 15,000 employees in 2016, the decision seems to be less about the company’s bottom line as seen in the gaming industry lately. Instead, Intel is focused on the structure of its business by removing its reliance on outsourced contractors and bolstering its presence elsewhere in the world. This includes its current plans to build a $10 billion factory in Israel, a multi-billion dollar facility in Ireland and even another plant in Oregon in the near future.

“Changes in our workforce are driven by the needs and priorities of our business, which we continually evaluate. We are committed to treating all impacted employees with professionalism and respect,” Intel said in a statement that echoed previous justifications.

KitGuru Says: It’s always a shame to see any industry hit so hard with layoffs, but we can at least praise that it’s less about greed like we’re used to seeing this year and more about long-term plans. Hopefully those affected are treated well by Intel and land on their feet soon.

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