Dell to axe over 15,000 jobs

Dell
Dell hell for 15,000 staff

PC powerhouse Dell is to axe over 15,000 jobs this week as part of a restructuring effort aimed at addressing its place in the ailing PC market.

The decision will see 15 per cent of Dell's work force getting the chop, according to sources cited by The Register.

Apparently no one is safe, with all departments set to suffer job losses, including on the engineering side. In its support business, the aim is streamlining and simplification, combining the consumer and commercial sides under one unit.

"Bloodbath"

One source told The Register that the job cull would be "a bloodbath." However, Dell has been keeping tight-lipped about its plans.

Those who are among the unlucky number will get a redundancy payout of two months' pay, plus a week's pay per year of service, and a bonus of 75 per cent. US employees will get health insurance for 18 months and outplacement services.

The job cuts come at a time when many other companies in the IT sector are also chopping jobs, partly in response to macroeconomic issues, and partly due to a continuing decline in PC sales. Gartner recently reported that 2013 was the worst year on record for PCs, with a drop of 10 per cent in total sale numbers.

Dell is attempting to compensate by refocusing on burgeoning sectors like the cloud.