Planned job cuts arrive in AMD Singapore

Semiconductor maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) laid off about 70 jobs at its Chai Chee plant in Singapore, in line with the restructuring plans announced early this month aimed at saving more than $200 million in operational expenses by 2012. The job cuts followed the first wave of workforce reduction that swept the company's Silicon Valley headquarters early this month.

Last November 3, AMD announced that it will reduce its global workforce by about 10 percent across the board. The workforce reduction is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter next year.

A source at AMD Singapore, who was among the laid-off employees, noted that majority of the axed positions are technicians and manufacturing operators. He said that the workforce reduction was implemented across all groups, including equipment and maintenance engineering, product engineering, and manufacturing operations and support. He added that there could be another wave of job cuts late in December as AMD Singapore streamlines its operations.

AMD Singapore, established in 1984, is a manufacturing base for AMD as well as its Asia Pacific regional headquarters for sales and marketing. The facility offers a high value-added back-end manufacturing environment and test center for the company's microprocessors.

- Stephen Las Marias