SBC reducing between 3,000 and 4,000 jobs

[Bushfire]

Telephone services provider SBC Communications Inc. plans to reduce its workforce by 3,000 to 4,000 positions during the fourth quarter through attrition and "enhanced retirement."

San Antonio, Texas-based SBC said the move is part of an ongoing staff reduction program, and insists it will not involve layoffs or dismissals.

A local spokeswoman said the company can't predict whether any of the job reductions will take place in Columbus because attrition and early retirement are voluntary actions.

To account for the severances, SBC said it will take a $150 million pretax charge during the fourth quarter. The charge will reduce earnings by about 3 cents per share.

more...

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2003/12/08/daily15.html

There are plenty of states SBC is in, and I picked this article at random as I didn't see it posted anywhere else. I wonder if cell phone / landline number portability is having a negative effect on SBC already, or if this was in the works for another greedy corporation. Please lock if this thread is a dupe, but I didn't see one yet.