Nokia Networks axes 1,800 staff

Nokia Networks, the infrastructure arm of the mobile giant, has announced it is cutting approximately 1,800 jobs as part of a series of "strong measures to reduce costs and improve profitability".

Up to 1,100 of the 1,800 planned redundancies will be in Finland, while the remainder will be divided among other countries, the company said.

The reductions will be made across research and development, operations, sales and marketing and in support functions.

The news follows a profits warning issued by Nokia Networks on 11 March, which warned it would post a substantial loss for the first quarter of 2003.

"We are determined to continue with our leadership strategy, targeting leadership position in mobile networks. The measures outlined today support this objective," said Sari Baldauf, president of Nokia Networks.

"Together with our relentless focus on customer needs and operational efficiency they will enable a sustainable and profitable business for the future."