5,900 Jobs Cut by AT&T in First Three Months of 2011

AT&T announced on April 20 that it reduced its workforce by 5,900 in the first quarter of 2011.  The layoffs came in part because of a 3.2% drop in the company’s landline business.

According to company spokesman, Marty Richter, “Reduction in headcount was due to a number of factors including normal attrition and surpluses in our shrinking wireline business.” Richter also said that the company is adding jobs and growing in other places, including U-verse installation and in retail stores.

According to Joe Bonner, who is a telecom securities analyst at Argus Research Company, AT&T loses around 12% of its landline income each year, so these recent job cuts are nothing new for the company.

Even with these cuts, AT&T still had 260,690 employees, although this year’s potential merger with T-Mobile could result in thousands of layoffs as well.