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To: StanX Long who wrote (61719)	3/8/2002 12:50:43 AM
From: StanX Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

SBC says more layoffs coming Phone company has cut 7,500 positions since October msnbc.com ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN ANTONIO, March 7 — SBC Communications Inc. said Thursday it has cut 7,500 positions since October and more jobs will be eliminated in coming months. The San Antonio-based phone company, meeting with industry analysts in New York, also said it would broaden its menu of long-distance data services and compete more vigorously for customers of high-speed Internet access. THE COMPANY repeated earlier forecasts that earnings per share this year would rise 5 percent to 7 percent, and that 2002 sales would rise 1 percent to 3 percent. The job cuts are part of an overall plan to trim operating costs by $1.5 billion a year within the next four years, SBC said. SBC had previously said it would cut thousands of jobs, but Thursday marked the first time it put a figure on recent cuts. The 7,500 cuts would total about 3 percent of SBC’s work force. Spokesman Larry Solomon said that about 5,000 cuts were made in the fourth quarter of 2001 and another 2,500 so far this year, with more to come. “We will continue to look at those areas not impacting customer service to take costs out of the business,” Solomon said. Advertisement Solomon declined to say how many more jobs will be eliminated, but he cautioned against using the pace of this year’s cuts to project layoffs for the rest of the year. SBC said it would start a four-year program to consolidate its call centers around the country to save money and would use technology to improve workers’ productivity.