Nokia Plans to Cut Up to 253 Jobs in Finland

Finnish telecommunications and networking technology company Nokia is planning to reduce its workforce in Finland by up to 253 employees, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Nokia has informed its employees about the planned workforce reduction, but the company has not issued a separate press release on the matter, the newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The planned cuts are part of Nokia’s efforts to strengthen its competitiveness and create room for investments aimed at supporting the company’s future growth, according to Helsingin Sanomat.

Nokia is expected to begin formal change negotiations with employee representatives on Monday, 12 October. The negotiations will concern employees working at Nokia’s sites in Espoo, Tampere and Oulu.

According to Helsingin Sanomat, Nokia currently employs around 6,800 people in Finland. If all 253 planned reductions are carried out, the cuts would represent roughly 3.7 percent of the company’s Finnish workforce.

Nokia’s communications chief Maria Vaismaa confirmed the start of the process in an email to Yle, saying that the company has commenced the change negotiations.

The negotiations are expected to determine the final impact on employees and how the planned workforce adjustments will be implemented.

Nokia has in recent years been restructuring its operations and focusing on improving efficiency while investing in technologies and areas it sees as important for future growth.

The Finnish company remains one of the country’s largest technology employers, with major operations and research activities across several Finnish cities.

The latest plans come as Nokia continues to navigate changes in the global telecommunications and networking technology market, where competition, technological development and the need for continued investment are putting pressure on major industry players.

The number of employees ultimately affected by the negotiations will depend on the outcome of the discussions with employee representatives.