Sun Microsystems has confirmed that it will lay off an additional 1,500 workers during the week of March 30.
A company spokesperson said on March 31 that Sun would be sending layoff notices to some 1,500 workers. These layoffs follow a round of layoffs Sun did in January when the company let 1,300 workers go. The layoffs are part of Sun’s plan, announced in November 2008, to lay off between 5,000 and 6,000 employees.
Meanwhile, Sun is in talks with IBM for IBM to acquire Sun in a deal some observers speculate would be worth between $6 billion and $7 billion. However, should IBM acquire Sun, it will likely provide no solace to beleaguered Sun employees, as IBM itself has had a series of layoffs, expected to reach upward of 10,000, according to a union organization called Alliance@IBM.
Sun officials said the layoffs would impact all levels of the company and both its U.S. and international operations.